Event set for Saturday

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. » Two dozen FIRST robotics teams from throughout the Capital Region, other areas of New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire will be convening at Ballston Spa High School on Saturday for the 4th annual Robot Rumble Off-Season Robotics Competition. Anyone interested in learning more about the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) programs is welcome to stop by and experience all the action at this exciting event.

The robot rumble will be taking place from8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The event is free and open to the public

FIRST Robotics Competitions combines tsport with science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources and time limits, teams of 15 students or more are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills and build robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team. Through the program students get to learn 21st Century skills, build and compete with a robot of their own design, learn to use sophisticated software and hardware and compete and cooperate in alliances and tournaments.

Four area FIRST Robotics Teams from Ballston Spa, Shenendehowa, Shaker and Colonie have worked together and organized this event. The GLOBALFOUNDRIES/Town of Malta Foundation provided a grant that allowed the FIRST Steamworks competition field from last season to be brought to Ballston Spa High School for the Robot Rumble.

In addition to 23 veteran teams, there is one rookie team participating in this event to prepare for their first robotics season, which will officially launch Jan. 6, 2018. Off-season competitions provide an opportunity for teams to recruit new students, industry mentors and sponsors as they begin preparing for the Regional FIRST Robotics Competition in March 2018.

Similar competitions for elementary and middle school age students will take place at Ballston Spa Middle School on Dec 2, Shenendehowa High School on Dec. 9 and at RPI on Dec. 16. A FIRST Tech Challenge tournament for middle school and high school students will be held at the Albany Academies on Jan. 13,2018. The New York Tech Valley 2017 FIRST Robotics Regional Competition will be held at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute East Campus Athletic Village (ECAV) on March 15-17, 2018.

For additional information, email Ballston Spa CSD K-12 Science Coordinator Diane Irwin at dirwin@bscsd.org or call (518) 884-7150, Ext. 2317.