After 33 grueling regional tournaments, the top high school robotics teams from the United States and abroad will battle for pride and glory, and NASA will be there to broadcast the excitement.
On April 27-29, 2006, 433 of the top FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics teams will compete at the Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Ga. Teams will compete in four divisions with the division winners for the championship. News media representatives and the public are invited to attend the 2006 FIRST Robotics Championship Tournament. There is no fee for admission.
NASA TV will broadcast the qualification and championship rounds and awards ceremonies live on April 28 and 29 starting at 8:30 a.m. EDT (5:30 a.m. PDT) each day. The event will also be webcast by the NASA Robotics Alliance Project (RAP) at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., and can be viewed at http://robotics.nasa.gov.
Who: 433 top high school FIRST robotics teams
What: 2006 FIRST Robotics Championship
When: Thursday, April 27, 2006
- 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT Practice Rounds
Friday, April 28, 2006
- 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. EDT Opening Ceremonies
- 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. EDT Qualification Rounds
Saturday, April 29
- 8:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. EDT Qualification Rounds and Alliance Pairings
- 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. EDT Division Final Rounds
- 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. EDT Division Awards Ceremony
- 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. EDT Championship Rounds and Award Ceremony
Where: Georgia Dome, 1 Georgia Dome Drive, N.W., Atlanta, Ga.
In 2006, 1133 high school teams from Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Great Britain and Israel participated in FIRST Robotics. FIRST is in its 15th year of competition.
In the continental United States, NASA Television’s Public, Education and Media channels are carried by MPEG-2 digital C-band signal on AMC-6, at 72 degrees west longitude, Transponder 17C, 4040 MHz, vertical polarization. They’re available in Alaska and Hawaii on an MPEG-2 digital C-band signal accessed via satellite AMC-7, transponder 18C, 137 degrees west longitude, 4060 MHz, vertical polarization. A Digital Video Broadcast compliant Integrated Receiver Decoder is required for reception. Analog NASA TV is no longer available.
NASA’s collaboration with FIRST is coordinated through the Robotics Alliance Project. Through RAP, NASA provides team sponsorships, Web and broadcast support and help with event sponsorships and logistics support. For 2006, NASA Headquarters and 10 NASA field centers sponsor more than 200 teams, with 55 qualifying for the championship tournament. The RAP portable machine shop, along with NASA technicians, also will provide support for all 341 teams at the championships.
NASA’s Robotics Alliance Project was created to bring together students, engineers, private organizations and other government resources to pursue the goal of increasing robotics expertise in the United States. The project supports programs that inspire students to become involved with technical fields through robotics competitions, facilitation of robotics curriculum enhancements and the development of a national clearinghouse for robotics education and career resources. The Robotics Alliance Project is supported through NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
FIRST was established in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen to motivate students to enter careers in math, science and engineering. The organization’s mission is to design accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge and life skills.
For more information about the FIRST Robotics National Championship including up-to-date schedules, team lists and directions visit:
http://www.usfirst.org/robotics/2006/chevents.htm
For more information about NASA’s Robotics Alliance Project and the NASA TV and Web cast of the event, visit:
