FIRST Robotics Kicks Off New Season Jan. 9

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Ken Huth

FIRST Robotics Regional 2009

FIRST Robotics has become the technology Super Bowl of high school sports and brings together students, mentors, faculty, friends and robot fans. Local teams will come together to kick off the 2010 season at 10 a.m. this Saturday, in the Kodak Theater on the Ridge. Teams will receive the new game and robot kits for the start of the FIRST Robotics regional competitions.

Participants will gather to hear a live broadcast of FIRST founder, Dean Kamen, describe the new game and its unique design challenges. Teams will then have six weeks to build the robots for the regional competition to be held March 4-6 at the Gordon Field House on the Rochester Institute of Technology campus. Over 40 teams from across the Northeast and Canada will compete.

This year, four new teams from the Rochester and surrounding area have been added to the competition, including Rochester School for the Deaf, McQuaid Jesuit High School, Eastridge High School and Pittsford Central School District.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition

of Science and Technology) began in 1989 to spark interest in science through solving engineering problems in a friendly, intense competition. More than 45,000 high school students are expected to participate in the national event leading up to the championship, April 15-17, in Atlanta.

More information about the Finger Lakes Region FIRST Competition can be found at The FIRST Upstate, NY region website.

WHAT: 2009-2010 Finger Lakes Regional FIRST Robotics Kick Off Event

WHERE: Kodak Theater on the Ridge
200 Ridge Road West

WHEN: 10 a.m., Jan. 9

8:45–9:45 a.m. – Team registration
10–11 a.m. – Broadcast from NASA, with FIRST Founder, Dean Kamen
11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. – School teams’ planning meetings