Robot Rumble returns to Ballston Spa High
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. >> Twentyfour FIRST Robotics teams from throughout the Capital Region, other areas of New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont will be gathering at Ballston Spa High School on Oct. 26 for the 6th 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 invited to stop by to see the teams and robots in action.
The Robot Rumble will take place from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Ballston Spa High School, 220 Ballston Ave. The event is free and open to the public.
FIRST Robotics competitions combine the excitement of sport with the rigors of 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 and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors.
The projects are intended to closely approximate “real-world engineering.” Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team.
Through the program students get to learn twenty-first century skills, including building and completing and competing with a robot of their own design, learning to use sophisticated software and hardware, and competing and cooperating in alliances and tournaments.
Four area FIRST Robotics teams from Ballston Spa, Shenendehowa, Shaker, and Colonie have collaborated to organize this year’s event. The Global Foundries -Town of Malta Foundation provided a grant that will allow the FIRST competition Destination: Deep Space field from last season to be brought to Ballston Spa High School for the Robot Rumble event.
Off-season competitions provide an opportunity for teams to have fun and to recruit new students, industry mentors and sponsors as they begin preparing for the FIRST Robotics Regional Competition in March 2020.
Ballston Spa High School is excited to be able to host this great opportunity to interest students in the STEM fields. FIRST programs are growing in New York Tech Valley as a result of the overwhelming support of our industry sponsors to engage more students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and develop the needed workforce to support their businesses.
Sponsors include Global Foundries, GE, ASML, National Grid, KLA-Tencor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Lam Research, Applied Materials, AMD,
Turner Construction, SCREEN USA, nfrastructure, Edwards, Regeneron, Pickett Family Foundation, Acumetra, Tokyo Electron and Westerwood Global.
Similar competitions for elementary and middle school aged students will take place at Shenendehowa High School on December 7th, Ballston Spa Middle School on December 14, and at RPI on December 14.
A FIRST Tech Challenge tournament for middle school and high school students will be held at the Albany Academies on January 18. The New York Tech Valley 2020 FIRST Robotics Regional Competition will be held at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute East Campus Athletic Village (ECAV) on March 12-14.