Opening ceremonies begin at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, April 6, with qualification matches starting at 9 a.m. on both Friday, April 6, and Saturday, April 7. The Friday awards ceremony will begin at 5:45 p.m., while the Saturday awards ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.
An estimated 500 to 700 high-school students on 36 teams from around the world will compete in the 2018 season challenge, “FIRST POWER UP.” In January, each FRC team received the description of the game and were allotted a six-week deadline to design, build and test a robot, with the help of adult mentors.
The “FIRST POWER UP” game pairs two alliances of video game characters with their human operators as they work to defeat a “boss” to escape an arcade game where they are trapped inside. Each match begins with a 15-second autonomous period in which robots operate only on pre-programmed instructions. During this period, robots work to earn points according to the game’s rules. During the remaining two minutes and 15 seconds, student drivers’ control robots to earn points. For more details on the game’s rules, click here.
The FIRST — “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology” — Robotics Competition is a worldwide program for students in grades 9-12 that inspires the next generation of explorers to pursue careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). FIRST also offers the LEGO League, LEGO League Jr. and Tech Challenge programs for younger age groups. FIRST Robotics district and regional competitions are held across the country during March and April, providing teams a chance to qualify for the 2018 FRC Championship events at Houston and Detroit.
For all Aerospace Valley Regional event information visit: https://www.avregional.org/.
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