Robots rule as Clemson hosts Palmetto Regional FIRST Robotics Competition

CLEMSON, SC – March 18, 2010 –  More than 700 high school students will converge on Clemson University’s Littlejohn Coliseum for the annual Palmetto Regional FIRST Robotics Competition March 25-27.

Thirty-four teams from Alabama; Florida; Georgia; Michigan; North Carolina; South Carolina; West Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and Brazil will compete in the fast-paced, high-energy event that has been dubbed “sports for the mind.” (Click here for a full list of teams.)

The competition will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 26-27, and is free and open to the public. No open-toed or –heel shoes will be allowed on the floor of Littlejohn Coliseum for safety reasons.

The competition will be broadcast through a live webcast at http://www.ces.clemson.edu/main/FRC/.

Teams began work in January to build and program robots to perform specific tasks for the event. This year’s game is titled “Breakaway” and is a soccer game of sorts, with robots shooting balls at a goal while trying to prevent opponent robots from scoring. Teams get extra points if their robots can suspend themselves from a bar in the middle of the field at the end of the match.

Above Photo: Students compete at last year’s Palmetto Regional FIRST Robotics Competition

Steve Melsheimer, professor emeritus in Clemson’s College of Engineering and Science and co-chairman of the Palmetto Regional planning committee, said the game is as much fun to watch as it is to play.

“This is a very high-energy, team-oriented contest, similar to an athletic event,” Melsheimer said. “The students are very excited, engaged and competitive, and it is a great spectator sport.”

But the competition is a lot more than fun and games. The main purpose of the event is to spark kids’ interest in engineering, science and technology.

“The real purpose of FIRST Robotics is to engage high school students in the exciting challenges of science and technology, to open their minds to the career possibilities in this area,” said Melsheimer. “As the primary engineering school in South Carolina, Clemson is very pleased to bring all these students to our campus for this great event.”

Participation in FIRST Robotics benefits students, but in the long run, getting students interested in science and engineering can benefit all of South Carolina.

“Getting our students interested in engineering and related fields will help the state meet the challenges of competing in a global economy that is heavily dependent upon technology,” Melsheimer said.

The 22 participating teams from South Carolina include students from Aiken, Richland, York, Horry, Pickens, Florence, Greenville, Greenwood, Kershaw, Charleston, Marion and Oconee counties.

The regional event leads to an international championship competition April 15-17 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. More than 45,000 high school students participate on more than 1,800 teams from countries across the globe, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Israel, Turkey, Chile, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

FIRST

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, N.H., the not-for-profit public charity 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. For more information, visit http://www.usfirst.org.