WHAT: Sixty-six high school teams, including one from Colombia and two from Chile, will face off in the 24th season of the Los Angeles regional FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition. This year’s theme is “Recycle Rush.”
The 2015 challenge is played between two alliances of three teams. Each team has its own robot. Points are scored when robots stack totes on scoring platforms, and cap the stacks with recycling containers. Robots also score by disposing of pool noodles, which represent litter. All game pieces are reusable or recyclable.
Prior to the competition, students had six weeks to work with a kit containing motors, batteries, a control system, a PC and automation components. In this time frame, they programmed and tested a robot weighing up to 120 pounds, built from these elements. Teams also raise funds and learn about teamwork.
Professionals from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, as well as higher-education institutes, aerospace companies and others, help teams solve problems and tackle real-world engineering obstacles. JPL is sponsoring seven robotics teams from Southern California at this competition.
The participants are among more than 350,000 students from around the world vying to compete in the FIRST Championship to be held April 22-25 in St. Louis, Missouri.
WHO: More than 1,500 students from California, Hawaii, Colombia and Chile, with their professional mentors. See list on next two pages.
WHEN: Friday, March 13:
8:30 a.m. – 5:45 p.m. Opening ceremonies, qualification matches
Saturday, March 14:
8:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Opening ceremonies, qualification matches
1:30 – 4:30 p.m. Final rounds
4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Awards ceremony
WHERE: Long Beach Arena, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, California, 90802
Phone: 562-436-3636. Competition admission is free. Parking fees apply.
More information and a short video about FIRST are at http://www.usfirst.org/ .
More information on NASA’s Robotics Alliance Project is at http://robotics.nasa.gov/ .
JPL is managed for NASA by the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Los Angeles FIRST Robotics Competition 2015 List of Participating High Schools and Community Teams
* denotes teams sponsored by JPL
1. Mark Keppel High, Alhambra, California
2. Neighbors Empowering Youth (NEY), Altadena, California*
3. Anaheim High School, Anaheim, California
4. Servite High School, Anaheim, California
5. Fairmont Preparatory Academy, Anaheim, California
6. Arcadia High School, Arcadia, California*
7. Arroyo Grande High School, Arroyo Grande, California
8. Atascadero High School, Atascadero, California
9. Beverly Hills High School, Beverly Hills, California
10. California Academy of Mathematics and Science, Carson, California
11. Valley Christian School System, Cerritos, California
12. Culver City High School, Culver City, California
13. Oxford Academy, Cypress, California
14. Escondido Charter High School, Escondido, California
15. Sunny Hills High School, Fullerton, California
16. Dos Pueblos Senior High School, Goleta, California
17. Granada Hills Charter High School, Granada Hills, California
18. Hawthorne High School, Hawthorne, California
19. Da Vinci Science, Hawthorne, California
20. Hope Chapel Academy, Hermosa Beach, California*
21. Marina High School, Huntington Beach, California
22. Ocean View High School, Huntington Beach, California
23. St. Mary’s Academy, Inglewood, California
24. Crescenta Valley High School, La Crescenta, California
25. Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School, La Crescenta, California*
26. St. Joseph High School, Lakewood, California
27. James A. Foshay Learning Center, Los Angeles
28. King Drew Medical Magnet High School of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles
29. Winward School, Los Angeles
30. West Adams Preparatory High School, Los Angeles
31. Theodore Roosevelt Senior High School, Los Angeles
32. Benjamin Franklin Senior High School, Los Angeles
33. Los Angeles Senior High School, Los Angeles
34. Alexander Hamilton Senior High School, Los Angeles
35. Abraham Lincoln Senior High School, Los Angeles
36. Manual Arts Senior High School, Los Angeles
37. Newbury Park High School, Newbury, California
38. James Monroe High School, North Hills, California
39. North Hollywood Senior High School, North Hollywood, California
40. El Modena High School, Villa Park High School and Canyon High School, Orange, California
41. Orcutt Academy Charter School, Orcutt, California
42. Palos Verdes High School, Palos Verdes Estates, California
43. Redondo Union High School and Mira Costa High School, Redondo Beach, California
44. Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, Rolling Hills Estates, California
45. Don Bosco Technical Institute, Rosemead, California
46. San Marino High School, San Marino, California*
47. Rolling Hills Prep School, San Pedro, California
48. Academy of the Canyons and West Ranch High School, Santa Clarita, California*
49. Santa Maria Police Activities League, Santa Maria, California
50. New Roads School, California
51. The Buckley School, Sherman Oaks, California
52. Harvard-Westlake School, Studio City, California
53. Bridges Academy, Studio City, California
54. FRC Team 980 ThunderBots, Sylmar, California*
55. South High School, Torrance, California
56. West High School, Torrance, California
57. High Tech LA, Van Nuys, California
58. West Covina High School, West Covina, California
59. Chaminade College Preparatory High School, West Hills, California
60. Banning Academies of Creative and Innovative Sciences, Wilmington, California
61. Maui High School, Kahului, Hawaii
62. Lahainaluna High School, Lahaina, Hawaii
63. Henry Perrine Baldwin High School, Wailuku, Hawaii
International teams:
Elizabeth Landau / D.C. Agle, 818-354-6425 / 818-393-9011
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
