Thirty-two teams of high school students with a passion for designing, building and programming robots will compete at the annual Ontario District University of Waterloo FIRST Robotics Competition starting on Friday.
Teams include local favorite Team Dave from St. David’s Catholic Secondary School in Waterloo.
This year’s challenge, Destination: Deep Space, puts teams on planet Primus, which has unpredictable terrain and dangerous weather patterns. With only limited time available, students must use the robots they’ve built from scratch in only six weeks to gather as many cargo pods as possible and return to their space ships for liftoff before the next sandstorm arrives.
The top teams will move on to the FIRST Ontario Provincial Championships taking place in April.
The competition begins with qualification rounds on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, followed by elimination matches and final rounds on Saturday afternoon. This free event is open to the public.
Schedule
All events will be held in the Physical Activities Complex at the University of Waterloo
Friday, March 22 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Activities: Practice rounds, opening ceremonies, qualification rounds
Saturday, March 23 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Activities: Qualification rounds, Elimination matches, Awards