Area's Largest Student Robotics Competition Invades Boston This Week.Blue Man Group to perform Saturday; Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak (person) Steve Wozniak - Co-founder of Apple Computer with Steve Jobs on 01 April 1976 and the inventor of the Apple II personal computer. judging competition BOSTON -- Over 1,000 area high school students will be competing in Boston's largest robotics competition this week. The Boston FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition will take place at Boston University's Agganis Arena Agganis Arena is a 6,300-seat multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. The arena opened in 2004. It is home to the Boston University Terriers ice hockey team. It is named after Harry Agganis, an outstanding football and baseball athlete for BU and the Boston Red Sox. Friday through Saturday, March 28-29, 2008. The event is free and open to the public. Blue Man Group, the multimedia entertainment phenomenon, will perform during the opening ceremony for the competition's final matches: Saturday, March 29, 2008 at 12:45PM. This special live appearance will showcase Blue Man Group's signature music and excitement. Over fifty teams spent six weeks designing and building robots to accomplish specific tasks outlined in this year's game, "FIRST Overdrive." The teams will compete for honors that recognize robot design excellence, competitive play, sportsmanship and high-impact partnerships between schools, businesses and communities. The Boston FIRST Regional (http://www.bostonfirst.org) brings together student teams from across the region in an atmosphere that is described as "rock concert meets the Super Bowl mixed with science and technology." Students competing in the competition will be able to interact with a number of the nation's leading technology pioneers. This year's judges include Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, iRobot co-founder Colin Angle Colin Angle is co-founder and chief executive officer of iRobot Corporation, maker of the Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner. External links
Participants and attendees will hear from Congressman James Langevin Jim Langevin (born James R. Langevin on April 22, 1964) is a Democratic member of the Rhode Island congressional delegation. He represents the state's 2nd District. Langevin was born in Providence, Rhode Island. (D-RI) and others who will discuss the importance of science and technology in education. "FIRST Overdrive" requires each team to race its robot around a large, oval track  It has been suggested that and be merged into this article or section. while moving gigantic inflated balls above
and below obstacles along a designated path. Highlights from last
year's event can be found at http://www.bostonfirst.org.
"With the maximum number of teams signed up, the performance by Blue Man Group, and unprecedented support from the regions business community, this year's competition is proving to be one of the most exciting ever," said Marc Hodosh, chairman of Boston FIRST. The competition has built upon the triumphs of the past two years, through a successful fundraising drive and generous donations from Boston University Boston University, at Boston, Mass.; coeducational; founded 1839, chartered 1869, first baccalaureate granted 1871. It is composed of 16 schools and colleges. , MIT MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology & MIT Lincoln Laboratory MIT Lincoln Laboratory, also known as Lincoln Lab, is a federally funded research and development center managed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and primarily funded by the United States Department of Defense. , P&G Gillette and Analogic Corporation. Students participating in FIRST are eligible to apply for over nine million dollars in scholarships from leading universities, colleges and companies. Scholarship announcements are made at the FIRST championship in Atlanta. Since its beginning, FIRST has striven to improve students' attitudes towards math, science and teamwork. Many participants go on to seek internship opportunities in science and engineering, especially with companies that participate in the FIRST program. About FIRST Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, NH, FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs that build self-confidence, knowledge and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology and engineering. With the support of many of the world's most well known companies, the non-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition The FIRST Robotics Competition is a high school robotics competition organized by FIRST. As of early 2007, 1,303 high school teams of 32,500[1] students from Brazil, Canada, The Netherlands, Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and others compete to for high school students and the FIRST Lego League The FIRST Lego League (also known by its acronym FLL) is a competition for elementary and middle school students (ages 9-14, 9-16 in Europe), arranged by the FIRST organization. The competition revolves around making Lego robots to complete many tasks. for children 9-14 years old. For additional information, please visit http://www.bostonfirst.org. |
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