BotBash Robotic Combat -- May 6 and May 7, 2000.

Business Editors

CHANDLER, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 10, 2000

BotBash(TM) 5 2000 Press Information -- Robotic Competition,

May 6 and May 7, 2000, Mesa, Arizona 

Background:

BotBash(TM) is an annual event that promotes engineering and technology. BotBash(TM) consist of a number of different competitions designed to challenge robotic competitors of all levels of complexity.

Designed for the young and old alike, it has had participants ranging from 12 years of age to retirees. BotBash's goal is to encourage original thought and to encourage contestants to act on that thought. The events are designed to encourage interest from people regardless of background and large support groups have formed to encourage and help people to accomplish creations for this technical event. This format encourages participation from all skill levels. Past BotBashes have had a wide-range of competitors; from complex robots designed in aerospace machine shops to simple, yet innovative designs built with such materials as paper towel rolls.

In the past five years, this philosophy has grown BotBash into the second largest robotic competition in the United States, with both domestic and international competitors. It has been featured on television and in national and international magazines.

BotBash is a fun and dynamic new form of entertainment and has proved to be particularly suited to television.

The Events:

BotBash(TM) has four main events:

1) Robotic Combat Events - this consists of remote controlled robots that do battle in three different events in a tiered competition:

a) The Obstacle course - a diverse course of different challenges is set up to test a robot and robot driver's ability to maneuver their creations.

b) Capture the Flag - robots challenge one another to take over their opponent's flag in a one on one competition between warriors.

c) Robot Battle - Robots fight to the death in a no holds barred, destroy your opponent, winner takes all, exciting competition.

2) Autonomous Maze competition - preprogrammed robots try to find their way through an ever changing, configurable maze.

3) Robot Open Demos - All robot platforms are welcome to display unique talents, the winner is determined by an audience vote.

4) First Annual High School Autonomous Robot Square Off -- A limited number of Local High Schools are supplied with a robot and computer to program the robot to compete in an autonomous robot obstacle course competition.

Event Specifics:

BotBash will occur May 6 and May 7 this year in Mesa, Ariz. (a suburb of Phoenix) at the Confederate Air Force Hanger. It will have a surreal atmosphere being held in a Aircraft Hanger surrounded by the technological edge of WWII. The event is going to be filmed this year for a national TV series (negotiations are still underway about specifics).

Contact Information: BotBash, LLC 1221 W. Bartlett Way Chandler, AZ 85248

SOURCE: DigitalWork ( http://www.digitalwork.com )

DigitalWork.com -- Your Business Workshop