FIRST Robotics' first Australian competition to be held in 2015

Thursday, 20 November, 2014

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition will host its first Australian regional competition at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre from 11-14 March 2015.

“This will be the first time that we’re holding a regional competition in Australia so it’s great to see that we already have teams registering from not only around Australia but also other countries, including Hawaii, Brazil, Taiwan, China and Singapore,” said Luan Heimlich, regional director for FIRST Australia.

In this event, teams will have about six weeks to brainstorm, design, prototype, build, program and learn to drive a robot before putting them to the ultimate test in the competition. The robots themselves are up to two metres tall and weigh around 50 kg.

In addition to competing in the robotics game, participants are also in the running for three awards: the Chairman’s Award, Engineering Inspiration Award and the Rookie All-star Award. The award winners will be invited to compete in the FIRST World Championship event to be held in St Louis, Missouri, USA.

FIRST’s mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication and leadership. Rockwell Automation was the recipient of the Founder’s Award at the 2013 World Championships for its continued sponsorship of FIRST.

“Rockwell Automation is a great supporter of FIRST. The program has really taken off in Australia; we started small but we now have 30 teams. I think that once people talk to participants in the program, they really see and understand the power of the program and then look to becoming involved,” said Heimlich.

The theme for next year’s regional event will be announced closer to the date but will no doubt combine the excitement of sport with science and technology to create a unique varsity Sport for the Mind. The competition helps young people, aged 14-18, discover the rewarding and engaging world of innovation and engineering.