Robotic ball players built by high school students compete in unique march madness

By Marcia Meredith

While some college campuses will be hosting NCAA basketball championship games March 16-18, the sports arena at Virginia Commonwealth University will be swarming with athletes of a very different kind: robots.

Thousands of high school students and their mentors from as far away as Brazil will unleash their ball-wielding robots during the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition on March 16-18 at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Stuart C. Siegel Center, 1200 W. Broad St. A 10-city nationwide event, VCU’s School of Engineering and NASA Langley Research Center are sponsors of the South Atlantic regional games.

"We hope this competition will not only ignite a new generation of engineers and scientists, but also motivate high school students to achieve academically," said Robert Mattauch, Ph.D., VCU School of Engineering dean.

Six weeks prior to the competition, each team received a box of parts, contest rules and the challenge to design and build a robotic basketball player capable of dunking balls in a 7-foot-high goal. Robots also should be able to do mechanical chin-ups and perform other tasks.

With guidance from engineers, scientists and corporate leaders, student-constructed robots cannot be wider than 3 feet, taller than 5 feet or exceed 130 pounds. Controlled via a 900 mhz radio system, robots will be made from materials such as aluminum, fiberglass and plywood.

The dueling nature of the head-to-head battles tests students’ math, science and engineering skills and requires teams to build offensive and defensive capabilities into their designs. Referees will grant points to each team that successfully completes each two-minute round. Award medals will be given to teams in categories such as most photogenic, best team spirt and best defense.

Team registration and robot practice rounds will be held between 9 a.m-8 p.m. on March 16. Robot competition and award ceremonies will be held from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on March 17 and on March 18 from 9 a.m-4 p.m.

Founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen, a New Hampshire inventor-engineer, the FIRST Robotics Competition seeks to generate interest in science and engineering among young people.

Participating Virginia teams are:

l Appomattox Regional Governor’s School - Petersburg
l Blacksburg High School - Blacksburg
l BSA/Explorer Post - Richmond
l Chesterfield Technical Center, Clover Hill High School and Thomas Dale High School -Richmond
l Commonwealth Governor’s School - Fredericksburg
l Grundy High School - Grundy
l Hermitage Technical Center - Richmond
l Herndon High School - Herndon
l J.R. Tucker High School - Richmond
l John F. Kennedy High School - Richmond
l Norfolk Technical Vocational Center - Norfolk
l Orange County Public School - Orange
l Hampton City Schools and Phoebus High School - Hampton
l Richmond Community High School - Richmond
l St. Michael’s School - Richmond
l Woodbridge Senior High School - Woodbridge

High school teams from Alabama, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and West Virginia will be competing as well. A team from Brazil also will be participating.

Following the regional competition, teams are eligible to compete in the FIRST national championship next month at Epcot of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.