High school robotics teams from all over Indiana have been invited to participate in the 2nd annual practice scrimmage Sunday, Feb. 15, from 1 – 5 p.m. at the Ball Gym, Ball State University, to see how well their robots will perform during national competitions later this year. This event is hosted by PhyXTGears, Muncie’s Robotics Team #1720, comprised of high school students from Delaware County. The public is invited to attend the event, parking is free. For directions, visit www.bsu.edu/map/quad4/. A science and technology program, PhyXTGears is part of an international program called FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). FIRST (www.usfirst.org) is an organization affiliated with NASA, that inspires and motivates high school students to become interested and involved in science and technology. FIRST robotics competitions are held annually on the regional and national level.
The 2009 game challenge is called “Lunacy”, in honor of the 40th anniversary of NASA’s success of landing a man on the moon. Each team has six weeks to design and build a working robot that can function autonomously and by remote control. This year, game pieces called “orbit balls” will be designated at moon rocks, empty cells and super cells. Two three-team robot alliances have to collect and score points by putting orbit balls into trailers attached to the opposing teams robots. What makes this game even more challenging is that it is played on a low-friction floor, forcing teams to contend with the laws of physics.
Muncie/Delaware FIRST Robotics is a non-profit 501c(3) community-based organization designed to enhance science, math, engineering and technology using an immersive, integrated, problem-solving teaching method. It is run completely by volunteers, and funded by grants, donations and sponsorship. Visit www.muncierobotics.org for more information about the Muncie FIRST robotics team.
More Information: www.muncierobotics.org