The Sacramento Regional FIRST Robotics Competition returns to UC Davis, March 17-19, drawing high school teams from northern California, including Davis and Sacramento, and from as far away as Idaho.
This year’s game is Logo Motion, in which robots will play with inner tubes — trying to hang them on hooks on a wall. Extra points will be awarded for hanging triangle, circle and square inner tubes, in that order, side by side — thus creating a representation of the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, or FIRST, logo.
At the end of the game, the teams will deploy minirobots to climb poles.
Watch an animated depiction of Logo Motion.
The public is welcome to attend, free of charge. The event takes place in The Pavilion at the ARC, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. all three days. Practice rounds are scheduled for Thursday, March 17, with the actual competition set for Friday and Saturday, March 18 and 19.
Inventor Dean Kamen founded the nonprofit FIRST organization in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. His father, Jack Kamen, an illustrator, created the FIRST logo, and this year’s Logo Motion game honors his memory.
High school teams design and build their robots with assistance from professional mentors. The competition measures the effectiveness of the robots, as well as teamwork and dedication.
Besides vying for regional awards, the teams in the Sacramento Regional FIRST Robotics Competition will also be aiming for a spot in the national championship, scheduled April 27-30 in St. Louis.
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Dave Jones, Dateline, 530-752-6556, dljones@ucdavis.edu