High School Robotics – Varsity Sport for the Mind

HUNTINGTON, Ind. – The challenge: Build a robot that will shoot 5 inch whiffle balls into a 21 inch diameter goal that is about 8′ off the floor. Oh and while you are at it add a scoring mechanism that will score additional points by placing a game piece, shaped like a gear, that is about 12 inches in diameter onto a flexible peg. Then if that is not enough, in the last few seconds roll over there and climb a rope.

That’s what will be happening this weekend in Huntington Indiana. Robotics teams from across the state compete in both qualification and elimination matches in hopes of high-scoring performances. The best of the best will be moving on to the World Championship held in St. Louis, MO. later this month.

While the competition is what makes this so much fun, there is so much more going on here. “FIRST isn’t about competing, it’s about cooperating, and recognizing that if you have the right tools, you’ll be able to make this world a better place for yourself and for the country,” said Dean Kamen, president of DEKA Research and Development and FIRST® Founder, adding, “There is no stimulus package that will have as much return as stimulating a bunch of kids to become the workforce of the future, the problem solvers, the creators of the future.”

This weekend at Huntington High School in Huntington Indiana, students, engineering and technical mentors will demonstrate their skill for science, mathematics, and technology. In what is often call the varsity sport for the mind they will compete for honors and recognition that reward design excellence, competitive play, sportsmanship, and high-impact partnerships between schools, businesses, and communities.

The game consists of the robot shooting 5 inch whiffle balls into a 21 inch diameter goal that is about 9′ off the floor. Additionally robots may score points by placing a game piece, shaped like a gear, that is about 12 inches in diameter onto a flexible peg. Human players (students) must then retrieve the gear from the flexible peg and place it onto another assembly before points are scored. An endgame option allows robots to score even more points by climbing a rope.

The matches are timed and anything can happen. Often the final score will be decided by just one single event. Just like in a basketball game the difference between winner and looser is often just a fraction of a second. In fact, the atmosphere of a robotics competition is markedly similar to a basketball game; fans decked out in spirited clothing, constant cheering, and the moments of euphoria when a team scores just before the buzzer rings. It’s a truly incredible experience for all involved.

Play at this State Championship Event will be fierce since the results will be the determining factor for World Championship qualification. Going into the State Championship Event the IndianaFIRST district leader is Cyber Blue from Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis Indiana and they lead with 128 district points. Pike RoboDevils also from Indianapolis Indiana is ranked second with 103 district points, and Team Hammond from Hammond Indiana is ranked third with 101 district points.

Members of the media are welcome to interview students, coaches and mentors. Please contact our media team to schedule interviews and photo/video opportunities.

EVENT: Indiana State Championship, High School Robotics Competition
WHERE: Huntington North High School, 450 McGahn Street, Huntington, IN 46750
WHEN: April 7-8, 2017 – Friday and Saturday
ADMISSION: No charge and open to the public
LIVE STREAM: http://www.indianafirst.org/

Schedule:

Thursday, April 6, 2017
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm- Pits Open, Inspections, Practice Matches

Friday, April 7, 2017
8:00 am – 10:30 am – Pits Open, Practice Rounds, Inspections
10:00 am – 12:30 pm – Invited Guest Event
10:30 am – 11:00 am – Opening Ceremonies
11:00 am – 1:00 pm – Qualification Matches
12:30 pm – 5:00 pm – Sponsor & Scholarship Tables Open
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Lunch
2:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Qualification Matches
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Team Social
8:00 pm – Pits Close*

Saturday, April 8, 2017
8:00 am – Pits Open
8:30 am – 2:00 pm – Scholarship & Sponsor Tables Open
9:00 am – 9:30 am – Opening Ceremonies
9:30 am – 12:15 pm – Qualification Matches
12:15 am – 12:30 pm – Cross-Program State CMP Recognition
12:30 pm – 1:00 pm – Alliance Selections
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Lunch
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Final Rounds
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm – Awards Ceremony
6:30 pm – 7:00 pm – Winning Alliance & Cultural Award photos
7:00 pm – Pits Close*

*Schedule subject to change. All times are estimated based on flow of rounds. See Pit Administration table for updated times.

Sponsor Information

This event wouldn’t be possible without support from the following 2017 FRC® Indiana State Championship Sponsors & IndianaFIRST State-Wide Sponsors: AndyMark, UTEC, Rolls-Royce, Huntington City, Renaissance Electronic Services, University of Indianapolis, 80/20, Inc., Bendix, PHD, Inc., Huntington University, Parkview (EMT), Software Engineering Professionals, Rarebird, Pace Chevrolet, Dow AgroSciences, MTD, Apollo Casters, Continental Structural Plastics, Huntington County Economic Development, Mark & Anita Wickersham, Allfuses.com, Allied Automation, Barnes & Thornburg, Cook, Cargill, 4-H, Amazon, Our Sunday Visitor, Lime City Committee, Raytheon, & Homeadvisor.com.

Special thanks to our Huntington Experience Food booths, Antiqology, Berg, JB’s, Nick’s Kitchen, PartyShop, & Sugarmamas, who are giving us a “taste of Huntington” this weekend!

LINKS

Team Rankings for IndianaFIRST District posted at this link: http://frc-districtrankings.firstinspires.org/2017/IN

Detailed event information. This includes team list, rankings as event proceeds, detailed match schedule, and qualification results posted at this link: http://frc-districtrankings.firstinspires.org/2017/IN/INCMP

STEAMWORKS℠ Game Animation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMiNmJW7enI

About The Game FIRST® STEAMWORKS℠ http://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/game-and-season

LIVE STREAM: http://www.indianafirst.org/

2017 Indiana State Championship Team List posted at this link: http://50.196.210.225/IndianaFirst/sce/TeamList.pdf

2017 Indiana FIRST State Championship Schedule posted at this link: http://50.196.210.225/IndianaFirst/sce/2017_IndianaFIRST_State_Championship_Public_Schedule.pdf

Additionally here is a link to some story angle ideas for coverage of these robotic competitions.
Story Angles For Robotics Competitions: http://50.196.210.225/IndianaFirst/wde/StoryAngleForRoboticsProgram.pdf

LOCATE TEAMS IN YOUR AREA http://www.firstinspires.org/team-event-search

FIRST FAQ posted at this link: http://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/resource_library/first-faq-dec16-2.pdf

FIRST Press Room posted at this link: http://www.firstinspires.org/about/press-room

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Founded by inventor Dean Kamen, who introduced the IBOT Mobility System and the Segway® Human Transporter (HT), FIRST was created to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people, their schools, and their communities. The FIRST® Robotics Competition anticipates over 3,100 teams in the U.S. and 24 countries worldwide to compete in 53 Regional Events and 65 District Events. Thousands of students will compete at the district, state and regional events to earn a spot at the World Championship to be held April 27-30 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, MO.

“FIRST isn’t about competing, it’s about cooperating, and recognizing that if you have the right tools, you’ll be able to make this world a better place for yourself and for the country,” said Dean Kamen, president of DEKA Research and Development and FIRST® Founder, adding, “There is no stimulus package that will have as much return as stimulating a bunch of kids to become the workforce of the future, the problem solvers, the creators of the future.”

This season, participating FIRST® students are eligible to apply for more than $50 million in scholarships being made available by nearly 200 scholarship providers.

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, N.H., FIRST® designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $25 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; FIRST® LEGO® League for Grades 4-8; and FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. for Grades K-3. Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST®, go to http://www.firstinspires.org/.

About IndianaFIRST
IndianaFIRST is an organization dedicated to growing FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics programs in the state of Indiana. FIRST® is a multinational non-profit organization that aspires to transform our culture, making science, math, engineering, and technology as cool for kids as sports are today. Founded in the fall of 2001 as the Indiana-based affiliate of FIRST®, IndianaFIRST brings FIRST® programming to students in grades K-12, teaching them hands-on skills in engineering, science, and technology that they can relate back to their class work. Kids compete against other kids in district, state, and world championship competitions in what is frequently called “The Super Bowl of Smarts.”