High school students with a passion for designing, building and programming robots will compete this week at the University of Waterloo in the qualifying round for an international robotics competition.
Thirty teams with names such as SWAT, Warp7, Simbotics, Ice Cubed, BeaverworX, REBotics and Ram-ferno will vie for an invitation to the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) World Championships in St. Louis, Missouri, where they will compete with teams from all over the world for the title of 2014 FRC World Champions.
This year’s game, Aerial Assist™, is played by two competing Alliances of three Robots each on a flat 27’x 54’ field straddled by a lighting truss suspended five feet above the floor. The objective is to score as many balls in goals as possible during a 2 minute 30 second match.
The match begins with one 10-second Autonomous Period in which robots operate independently of driver. For the rest of the match, drivers remotely control robots from behind a protective wall, with only a single ball in play. Alliances earn large bonuses for “assists”, earned for each robot that has possession of the ball in a designated zone.
Robots are built in six weeks from a common kit of parts, provided by FIRST, and weigh up to 120 lbs. excluding battery and bumpers.
The high-tech sporting competition involves brainstorming, teamwork and mentoring. Referees oversee the contest and judges give awards for design, technology, sportsmanship and commitment. Without weapons, the games are fast-paced and competitive.
"Through FIRST, kids realize that building a robot can be fun and cool," said Rob Gorbet, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Waterloo. "It gives them very real role models, from outside the worlds of professional sports and entertainment. It's about opening their eyes to careers in math, engineering, science and technology - and it works."
A robot from the 2013 FIRST Robotics Competition. Courtesy: FIRST
FRC challenges teams to not only build competitive robots, but also develop transferable skillsets that aid in career development, such as teamwork, project management, strategic thinking skills, and the need to come up with innovative ways to raise funds. Many teams have mentors from versatile backgrounds including engineering, science, technology, business, and the arts. Students are able to take their knowledge of science and technology and apply it to a variety of fields.
“One of the reasons the University of Waterloo is so proud to host the FIRST Robotics Waterloo Regional is that the objective of the competition – working as a team to solve open-ended, real-world problems – is a goal that our university shares,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of Waterloo.
The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Waterloo Regional is one of a series of five FRC regionals held in Ontario. The competitions are organized by FIRST Robotics Canada, and the Ontario FRC Regionals are sponsored by BlackBerry, Bruce Power, Synnex and a number of other leading engineering and technology companies.
The Waterloo Regional competition, open to the public, celebrates its tenth anniversary this year March 21-22. Following a practice day, teams begin competition with the Opening Ceremonies on Friday, March 21 at 8:30 am with the excitement building toward the elimination finals on Saturday afternoon in Waterloo's Physical Activities Complex. Admission is free. Thursday is a day of practice rounds.
About the University of Waterloo
In just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's technology hub, has become one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities with 35,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Waterloo, as home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program, embraces its connections to the world and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. In the next decade, the university is committed to building a better future for Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow. For more information about Waterloo, please visit www.uwaterloo.ca.
About FIRST Robotics
FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $18 million in college scholarships, FIRST Robotics has numerous programs for students aged 6-18 who are interested in science and technology, as part of a global network of FIRST organizations.
