91,000+ High-School Students Worldwide Tuning in for Unveiling of 2018 Robotics Challenge: FIRST® POWER UP�nbsp;
More Than 3,600 Teams Participate Through Twitch Live Broadcast Event, Originating From Manchester, N.H.
(BUSINESS WIRE) — January 5, 2018 — FIRST®:
Who: FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) will be joined by public figures to launch the 2018 season of the FIRST® Robotics Competition – FIRST® POWER UPSM – with a worldwide Kickoff event originating from Manchester, N.H.
- The 2018 season will include 3,647 teams from 27 countries (91,000+ high-school students), grades 9-12, participating in 158 Regional and District events.
- At Kickoff, teams will be shown the FIRST POWER UP game field and challenge details for the first time, and will receive a Kit of Parts – made up of motors, batteries, control system components, construction materials, and a mix of additional automation components – with limited instructions.
- Teams will have six weeks to design and build a robot to meet this year’s engineering challenge.
Dignitaries and public figures will deliver remarks on video and in-person, including:
- New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu
- Senator Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.)
- Dean Kamen, President, DEKA Research & Development and Founder, FIRST;
- Dr. Woodie Flowers, FIRST Distinguished Advisor, and Co-Chair of the FIRST Executive Advisory Board; Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology;
- FIRST students & special guests
What: Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. FIRST Robotics Competition is an annual competition that challenges high-school students – working alongside professional mentors – to construct a robot and compete in tournaments that measure the effectiveness of each robot, the power of teamwork and collaboration, and each team’s display of Gracious Professionalism®. Through their participation in the only sport where every kid can ‘go pro,’ students experience the excitement of science, engineering, technology, and innovation; build well-rounded life capabilities such as self-confidence, communication, and leadership; and qualify for more than $50 million in college scholarships.
When: Saturday, January 6, 2018
10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time, Local Remarks (LIVE Manchester, N.H. only)
10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Twitch Live Broadcast
Where*: Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), 2500 North River Road, Manchester, N.H. *OPEN TO ALL MEDIA: If you would like to attend as media, please contact Haley Dunn at hdunn@firstinspires.org or Brooke Blew at bblew@firstinspires.org.
- 137 Kickoffs in cities worldwide: U.S. and international FIRST teams will tune in live via Twitch broadcast. Access the live stream via https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/kickoff-broadcast
- To locate teams in your area, visit the FIRST Team search or contact your area’s FIRST Regional Director.
2018 FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff Event Locations:
Photo Opp.: FIRST will unveil the details of the new 2018 FIRST Robotics Competition game after the speaker program. Students take measurements on the new, full-scale game field and inspect the challenge in order to develop strategies for robot construction, and to determine if they will play offense, defense, or both.
