ATLANTA, Feb. 22, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Get ready for the same level of enthusiasm you would see at a football game.
Since January, 50 teams of future science superstars from high schools around the south have been rockin' and rollin' to invent robots to compete in the third annual FIRST Robotics Competition Peachtree Regional. The FREE event takes place March 4-5, 2005 at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth, and the public is welcome.
The backbone of the program is the intense collaboration between students and their mentors -- professional engineers and scientists from high tech companies. Students work closely all year with local business mentors from Lockheed-Martin, Scientific-Atlanta, GA Tech, Siemens, Kimberly-Clark, Turner Broadcasting and others to design and test their robotic creations. The idea is to stimulate and nurture the next generation of scientists, inventors and high tech leaders by making science relevant and cool.
Bill McCargo, chairman of the Peachtree Regional Advisory Board and Vice President, Community Relations at Scientific-Atlanta, explains why his company supports FIRST. "With 1,300 engineers at Scientific-Atlanta today, we always wonder where we will find the next round of engineering talent. Anything we can do to grow our own, especially in our own backyard, allows Georgia's young people to claim some of these great jobs," McCargo says. "It's clear that FIRST has broken the code on how to inspire students to pursue a career in science and technology."
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is dedicated to "creating a world where the wonder of science is celebrated and young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes," according to founder and inventor Dean Kamen.
About the competition
To level the playing field, student teams receive the same kit of 800+ parts with motors, sensors, gears and gizmos. Each team uses those elements differently to design and build robots that perform specific tasks such as pushing, pulling or heavy lifting. This year's challenge, "Triple Play," resembles a giant tic-tac-toe game. Robots will be required to move and stack tetrahedrons -- three dimensional triangles -- while avoiding the competing teams, whose robots are working to sabotage their efforts.
Teams compete for honors rewarding design excellence, competitive play, good sportsmanship and entrepreneurial spirit. Winning teams from 30 regionals in March will advance to the FIRST Championship on April 21-23, 2005 at the Georgia Dome in downtown Atlanta. This year, FIRST offers $4.2 million in college scholarships. Any team member is eligible regardless of winning or losing in a competition.
FIRST robotics competitions have expanded to 1,000 teams of 25,000 students competing in almost every state in the U.S., Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Israel and Great Britain.
Here's a partial list of Georgia high schools competing March 4 and 5:
Atlanta International School; Paidea School; Frederick Douglass High School, Atlanta's magnet school for engineering and applied technology; Henry Grady High School, Atlanta's magnet school for communication; Norcross High School; Kell High and Wheeler High in Marietta; Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain; Windsor Forest and Jenkins High in Savannah and Northview High in Duluth, to name a few.
For details on the FIRST Robotics Competition Peachtree Regional and FIRST programs worldwide, visit www.usfirst.org or locally, www.peachtreeregional.org
For jpeg photos, to arrange interviews with students and mentors, or to RSVP for the March 4 VIP lunch and Media Preview, contact Lisa Frank, 404/ 255-8567 or lafrank@comcast.net
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. Based in Manchester, NH, FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math. 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(R) League for children 9-14 years old. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.
The FIRST logo is available at http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=1431