DATE: December 30, 2008

CONTACT: Steve Melsheimer, 864-654-4973
ssmls@clemson.edu

WRITER: Susan Polowczuk, 864-656-2063
spolowc@clemson.edu


Robotics teams get competition details Saturday

CLEMSON — Teams participating in the sixth annual FIRST Robotics Competition Palmetto Regional at Clemson University receive their marching orders for the competition at a kickoff event from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 3, at the Madren Center BellSouth Auditorium. More than 100 students and representatives from across the state and region are expected to attend.

Robotics kickoffA live Webcast from FIRST headquarters in New Hampshire will announce this year’s game. At approximately 11 a.m. kits with parts will be handed out with the specific assignment to build a robot no heavier than 120 pounds that can complete a task in a specified amount of time. The teams have six weeks to design and assemble their robots and ship them back to FIRST for the regional competition to be held March 26-28 at Littlejohn Coliseum.

It is the second year Clemson will host the event that attracts up to 1,000 local and regional high school students who vie for top honors in a highly competitive and action-packed contest, described as a rock concert and sporting event “for the mind” rolled into one.

More than 35,000 high school students participate on more than 1,600 teams in regional events in the United Robotics kickoffStates, Canada, Brazil, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands and England. The regional events will lead to an international championship competition in April at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

For more information on the competition, go to the FIRST website at: www.usfirst.org, FIRST Robotics Competition or http://www.ces.clemson.edu/main/FRC/index.html

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Editors: South Carolina teams that may participate in the kickoff include Arts Communication and Technology High School; Beaufort High School; Beaufort County School District; Blythewood High School; School District 5 of Lexington and Richland counties: Irmo, Dutch Fork, Chapin; Richland County School District: Columbia High School, The Challenger Learning Center; W.J. Keenan High School; Academy for Technology and Academics High School; School District of Pickens County; Florence School District 1; Greenville County Schools: Christ Church Episcopal, Mauldin, J.L. Mann and Southside high schools; Piedmont Technical College; Lugoff-Elgin High School; Marion County Technical Education Center; Academy of Arts, Science & Technology in Myrtle Beach; Rock Hill District 3 high schools; School District of Oconee County: F.P Hamilton Career Center, Seneca High School, Walhalla High School, West-Oak High School, Tamassee-Salem High School; and York Comprehensive High School.

North Carolina teams that may participate in the kickoff include School of Math, Engineering, Technology and Science at Olympic High School; Westover High School; and Henderson County public schools.