Breakaway to Test High School Students in Battle of the Robots at Drexel
March 25-27, 2010 High school students from 8 states have been tasked with the challenge and excitement of designing and building an original robot in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition. This week, at the Daskalakis Athletic Center, six weeks of intense design and construction will culminate in the Drexel Engineering hosted FIRST Robotics Competition Philadelphia Regional, where 44 teams of students and engineering and technical mentors will demonstrate their skill for science, mathematics, and technology. They will compete for honors and recognition that reward design excellence, competitive play, sportsmanship, and high-impact partnerships between schools, businesses, and communities.
“We are proud to sponsor this event and we encourage students to participate in FIRST Robotics with anticipation they will advance in the fields of science and technology. It creates both excitement and a challenge for the students while celebrating their role as scientists and engineers,” said Dr. Selcuk Güceri, dean of the College of Engineering.
Over a six-week timeframe, students work with professional mentors to design a robot that solves a problem using a “kit of parts” and a standard set of rules. Once these young inventors create the robot, their teams participate in regional competitions that measure the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration, and the determination of students.
In this year’s game, “Breakaway™,” robots are designed to shoot balls into a goal. Robots will pick up a 40 inch" game balls and score them goals located on their opponent’s side for points during a 2 minute and 15 second match. “Breakaway” is played on a 54’x27’ low-friction floor, which means teams must contend with the laws of physics.
Founded by inventor Dean Kamen, Drexel University’s 2007 Engineer of the Year and creator of the Segway Human Transporter (HT), FIRST was created to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people, their schools, and their communities. Currently in its seventeenth year, the FIRST Robotics Competition anticipates its largest season ever with over 1,500 teams from every state in the U.S., Brazil, Canada, Chile, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the U.K. competing in 41 regional competitions. More than 1200 students will compete at the Philadelphia Regional to earn a spot at the Championship to be held April 17-19 at The Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia.