ATLANTA, March 15, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- While NASA robots Spirit and Opportunity are hard at work on Mars, talented kids and their mentors from across the region will invade Georgia as the Peachtree Regional FIRST Robotics competition makes Atlanta its home for the second year on March 18 through 20 at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth. NASA supports regional FIRST programs, like the Peachtree Regional, all across the US because it is trying to fill the pipe line with future astronauts and technicians to work on the future space programs. Dr. Dave Lavery, Program Executive for Solar System Exploration at NASA HQ says, "This competition is a wonderful way to translate student interest in science, technology and engineering from a theoretical classroom activity into reality, and is just one of the ways NASA hopes to inspire the next generation of explorers and inventors," said Lavery.
An estimated 1,200 students, teachers and mentors from 47 high schools representing 9 states and Puerto Rico will participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition Peachtree Regional. Students from 26 Georgia schools from across Georgia also plan to compete. The event is free and open to the public 9am-4pm each day.
For the past six weeks, high school teams have designed and built an original robot from a crate of parts. Engineering mentors from area colleges and businesses helped the students construct the robots, which can weigh no more than 130 pounds and have a maximum starting size of five feet tall.
During the Peachtree Regional, the teams will compete head-to-head, testing their skills in teamwork, strategy, design and sportsmanship. This year's game, "FIRST Frenzy", starts with robots operating for 15 seconds in autonomous mode and then drivers take control of robots to collect and pass balls to the human player to then shoot them into fixed and moveable goals. In addition, the game challenges robots to climb a step and hang from a 10-floor bar. Each 2-minute match will feature two-team alliances playing from opposite ends of the playing field. It is high tech excitement for both players and spectators.
"The robots are great," says Woodie Flowers, National Advisor and Vice Chairman of the Executive Advisory Board for FIRST, "but FIRST is about much more than machines. It's about being informed, being creative, and thinking hard -- all three, all the time. FIRST also celebrates gracious professionalism. That has to be the hottest, most relevant combination we could want. FIRST kids are doing great things for themselves and for their communities. They are the adrenaline our society needs!"
"It is a very demanding and challenging program," said Pattie Cook, FIRST Southeast regional director. "This is a really tremendous business-education partnership which encourages the researchers, scientists and inventors of the future. It not only inspires the high school students, but it invigorates the company employees."
Several teams from the Peachtree Regional will join over 15,000 FIRST team members from across the US and around the world to attend the Annual FIRST Robotics Championship event April 15-18 held in Georgia at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. This is the first time that the Championship will be held in Atlanta.
Available for interviews:
Dr. Woodie Flowers, Pappalardo Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT is National Advisor and Vice Chairman of the Executive Advisory Board for FIRST.
Jeffrey Seaton, Chief Technology Office, NASA Langley Research Center
Students and corporate sponsors from across the region.
Schedule:
Thursday, March 18: 8:00 a.m. -- 6 p.m. -- Robot testing and
inspection
Friday, March 19: 9:00 a.m. -- 9:20 a.m. -- Opening Ceremonies
9:20 a.m. -- 4:30 p.m. -- Competition
matches
Saturday, March 20: 9:20 a.m. -- 12 p.m. -- Competition matches
1 p.m. -- 3 p.m. -- Final competition
matches
3 p.m. -- Closing and Awards Ceremonies
About FIRST: Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people, their schools and their communities. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology and engineering. With the support of many of the world's most well-known companies, the non-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition for high school students and the FIRST LEGO(tm) League for children 9-14 years old. To learn more about FIRST and the FIRST Robotics Competition go to www.usfirst.org
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