The International Aerial Robotics Competition (IARC) began in 1991 on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Since 199 collegiate teams, with the backing of industry and government have fielded autonomous flying robots in an attempt to perform missions that required robotic behaviors never before exhibited in a flying machine. In 1990, the term “Aerial Robotics” was coined by competition creator Prof. Robert Michelson to describe a new class of small highly intelligent flying machines. The successive years of competition saw these aerial robots grow in their capabilities from vehicles that could at first barely maintain themselves in the air, to the most recent automatons which are self-stable, self-navigating, and able to interact with their environment – especially, objects on the ground.
The primary goal of the competition has been to provide a reason for the state-of-the art in aerial robotics to move forward.
High school students from east central
“We are here just, you know, comparing the robotics to other robotics. You know, try to get as much done, fine tuning as possible,” Greigh Davis, president of team 829, said. “You know, do well, and hopefully we will win.”
Students designed robotics by themselves in their workshops. They decided what they wanted to do, and their mentors helped them bring their projects to reality and assisted fixing technical problems.
Six months after being introduced to robotics, the kids at Public School 21 in Bedford-Stuyvesant have scored big.
They were named the top team in Brooklyn during the FIRST LEGO League robotics competition at Brooklyn Tech last month.
FIRST – For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology – is a group that creates innovative ways to get youngsters interested in science, technology and engineering. And the LEGO company creates and markets the popular multicolored interlocking plastic bricks, and other toys.
“It’s unusual to win a top award the first time out,” said Norman Scott, a retired teacher who serves as contest liaison.
On Jan. 26, the PS 21 kids won a Team Spirit Award during the New York City FIRST LEGO League Championship, a citywide competition held at Riverbank State Park in Manhattan.
Teams from St. Clare Elementary School on Staten Island landed the competition’s top honors, the Champion’s Award. The school’s Transformers 2 Team will represent New York City at an international competition in Atlanta.
Dynamic Network Services Incorporated, a world leader in domain, DNS and email technologies, today announced its active participation in the seventeenth edition of the FIRST Robotics Competition. The competition started on January 5 and is set to last six weeks, during which over 1,500 teams from around the world will call upon all their scientific and analytical skills to solve a fresh technical challenge, dubbed “Overdrive.”
Staff at Dynamic Network Services will be monitoring students as they build their robots and put their talent into action. Every year, the company heavily invests in the event, which encourages the bright minds of tomorrow to invest in engineering and scientific careers, paving the road for personal achievement and helping the industry move forwards.
“By helping students build their robots, we help them build their future” said Tom Daly, president, highlighting the close relationship the competition entertains with real-world situations and technology.
“We’re all students at heart,” added Jeremy Hitchcock, CEO and CFO, pointing out that “the game helps our staff keep their analytical skills sharp and flexible.”
MANHASSET, N.Y. — Segway inventor Dean Kamen is looking to tap the next generation of students to help develop the “next big thing.”
Kamen is organizing his 17th annual First (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics competition that will culminate at the 2008 First Championship April 17-19 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
The competition is geared to help high schoolers age discover the rewards of science, engineering and technology. Over 37,500 high school students on more than 1,500 teams from Brazil, Canada, Chile, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands, the U.K. and every state in the U.S. are participating in this year’s competition.
Earlier this month, teams were for the first time shown this year’s challenge and received a common kit that includes motors, batteries, a control system and a mix of automation components. Students receive no instructions, but work with mentors to design, build and test their robots over six weeks. The teams then participate in regional competitions that measure the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration, and students’ determination.
“We celebrate sports and entertainment people as hero figures,” said Leo Meire, facilities engineer at chip maker Qimonda and a mentor of Team 384 Robotics at J.R. Tucker High School (Richmond, Va.). “We want to attract future engineers by modeling the competition as a sports event, but for technical knowledge.” Qimonda will provide monetary support, use of a machine shop and necessary parts to the high school team.
