More than1,500 high school students from across Ohio, the U.S. and Canada will compete in the 14th annual Buckeye Regional FIRST Robotics Competition March 26-28, at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center.
Admission is free and the events are open to the public and the media.
The FIRST Robotics Competition provides the opportunity for high school students and their mentors to work together to solve a common engineering problem. Each team has six weeks to design and build a robot using a standard “kit of parts” and a common set of rules.
“Imagine high school students designing a fully functioning robot in just six weeks and then competing in front of cheering teams and engineering experts. It is such an achievement,” said Stephanie Brown-Houston, education specialist at NASA Glenn.
“NASA values the FIRST Robotics Competition because it provides hands-on learning directly related to science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM. As these talented student competitors work with mentors to hone their STEM skills, they are actually preparing to become the next generation of technicians and engineers,” said Brown-Houston.
NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is the largest sponsor of the Buckeye Regional FIRST Robotics Competition. Glenn engineers and scientists serve as technical advisors to many of the teams and mentors to the students.
FIRST, or For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, redefines winning for students by rewarding teams for excellence in design, demonstrated team spirit, gracious professionalism and the ability to overcome obstacles. Team members also compete for a place in the FIRST national championship held in St. Louis, Missouri, April 22-25.
This year, student teams built robots weighing up to 120 pounds that will compete in a game called Recycle Rush. The recycling-themed game is played by two competing groups of three robots each on a 25-by-54-foot field. Robots score points by stacking totes on scoring platforms, capping those stacks with recycling containers and properly disposing of pool noodles, representing litter. All game pieces used are reusable or recyclable.
