Feature March 24, 2008
High-Schoolers Go Into Overdrive at FIRST Robotics Competition Fifty-two teams from high schools in Southern California, The teams from FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is part of NASA's Robotic Alliance Project. The students designed, built and tested the robots -- which can stand up to six feet high and weigh up to 120 pounds -- with the help of engineers. Thirty engineers at JPL worked with several of the teams for more than six weeks, and 70 more JPLers volunteered at the event. In this year's "Overdrive" challenge, robots raced counterclockwise on a track roughly the size of a tennis court. In each two-minute-and-15 second round, robots scored points by pushing and passing huge rubber "Trackballs" around the field and over a six-and-a-half foot overpass. Robots had to operate by themselves for the first 15 seconds of each round, then students were allowed to control the robots for the remaining two minutes. 2008 * Connotes JPL or other NASA-sponsored team Regional Winners: - *"Beach Bots," - "Thunderbots," - "D'Penguineers," Dos Regional Finalists: - "BCR," - "Bagel Bytes," - "RoboWarriors," Regional Chairman's Award: *"Eagle Robotics," Engineering Inspiration Award: "The Holy Cows," General Motors Industrial Design Award: *"Beach Bots," Motorola Quality Award: "Metalcrafters," Johnson & Johnson Gracious Professionalism Award: "Robodox," Judges' Awards: "MorTorq," "The Nerd Herd," Rookie Inspiration Award: *"TNT," Rookie All-Stars Award: *"LCE," La Highest Rookie Seed: "SMERT," Underwriters Laboratories Industrial Safety Award: *"Eagle Robotics,"
|
|
|