(Utica, NY – Nov. 10, 2013) Kicking off the area’s busiest season yet of competitive robotics, RoboSpartans FTC4082, in cooperation with CNYFIRST, SUNYIT and Hudson Valley FTC, will host the 1st Annual Central New York FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Qualifying Tournament in the SUNYIT Wildcat Field House on Sunday, Dec. 8 frp, 7:30am to 6:30pm.
Twenty-four teams from the New York State and beyond will compete in paired alliances during a series of fast-paced matches of agility and strategy. This year’s season theme is “Block Party!” allows students to showcase the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and teamwork skills needed to build, program and compete in FIRST Tech Challenge robotics.
The “Block Party!” at SUNYIT is an inaugural qualifying event for the Hudson Valley FTC Region covering over 40 Counties in New York State.
The SUNYIT FTC event begins with an opening ceremony at 10:15am to introduce spectators and teams to local dignitaries and tournament officials. Action packed, qualifying rounds begin at 10:30am and run throughout the day until approximately3:30pm. Finals selection and elimination matches precede a final awards ceremony. Tournament participants compete for nearly a dozen trophies ranging covering robot design, robot performance, engineering notebook, engineering ingenuity, motivation, connecting with the community and the top prize of the Inspire Award.
The new tournament structure and local event opens up robotics to more local participation than ever before. FIRST Tech Challenge in Central New York has grown from 1 team in 2011 to 9 teams this season. Robotics is now available to FIRST LEGO League (FLL) students who previously stopped competing at age 14 and to those who are just developing an interest in technology in Jr. High and High School.
“It’s exciting to see how far area robotics has come in the past 8 years. It certainly has a positive effect on student interest in technology as well as opening up a wealth of scholarships for students preparing for college,” said Bob Payne, RoboSpartans team coach. FIRST Tech Challenge students currently qualify for over $11 Million in college scholarships.
Top teams from the Utica event will meet with winners from 4 other season qualifiers in Rochester, Albany, Somers & Suffern, New York for a 36 team Championship event at Pace University, White Plains, on Feb. 16. Championship teams can then qualify to move on to a multi-day Super Regional event of 72 teams in March followed by the annual FIRST World Championship in April, where 128 teams from a dozen countries meet in St. Louis.
The Dec. 8 event is free and open to the public from 10:00am through the final awards ceremony at approximately 6:00pm. Spectators wishing to get a closer look at robots can visit the teams in the pit area with required safety precautions including closed toe shoes and safety glasses (available on loan). An adult must accompany small children at all times to comply with tournament safety guidelines.
For more information, to volunteer or help sponsor the event, contact: the RoboSpartans at RoboSpartans4082@gmail.com or Elizabeth Rossi, SUNYIT, atElizabeth_Rossi@sunyit.edu.
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