WHAT:

Fifty-eight high school teams will compete in the 19th season of the Los Angeles regional FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition. The event, at the Long Beach Convention Center, is free to the public.

This year’s theme is “Breakaway.” The teams will compete on a 27-by-54-foot field with bumps, attempting to earn points by collecting soccer balls in their goals. An autonomous period starts each match, with robots controlled by pre-programmed instructions. The autonomous period is followed by a period in which the drivers control the robots. The event features alliances of three teams competing against each other to get the highest score by shooting the most balls into a goal, maneuvering their robots over towers or platforms, or lifting an alliance robot off the playing surface. Details and animation are available at: http://robotics.arc.nasa.gov/events/2010_frcwebcasts.php#animation .

The students designed, built and programmed their robots with the help of engineers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena, Calif., aerospace and other companies and higher-education institutions. JPL is mentoring 11 of 58 robotics teams.

The participants are among the 38,000 students in 1,500 teams from around the world vying to compete in the FIRST championships April 15 to 17 in Atlanta. The FIRST Robotics Competition is part of NASA’s Robotics Alliance Project, which aims to expand the number of robotics systems experts available to NASA.

WHO:

Fifty-eight high school teams and their coaches and mentors from California, Florida, Massachusetts and Chile. See below.

WHEN:

Friday, March 26
9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Seeding matches

Saturday, March 27
9 a.m.
Opening ceremonies

9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Seeding matches

1:30- 4:30 p.m.
Final competition rounds

4:30 p.m.
Awards ceremony

WHERE:

Long Beach Convention Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, Calif. 90802
Phone: (562) 436-3636. Competition admission is free. Parking fees apply.

More information on NASA’s Robotics Alliance Project is at http://robotics.nasa.gov/ .

Los Angeles FIRST robotics competition list of participating high schools

* denotes schools mentored by JPL.

1. Mark Keppel High School, Alhambra
2. Anaheim High School, Anaheim
3. Servite Alumni Association, Anaheim
4. Arcadia Unified School District, Arcadia*
5. Arroyo Grande High School, Arroyo Grande
6. Beverly Hills High School, Beverly Hills
7. California Academy of Mathematics & Science, Carson
8. Buchanan High School, Clovis
9. Tower Christian School, Clovis
10. Culver City High School, Culver City
11. El Segundo High School, El Segundo
12. Classical Academy High School, Escondido
13. Dos Pueblos High School, Goleta
14. Granada Hills Charter High School, Granada Hills
15. Centinela Valley Union High School, Hawthorne
16. Hope Chapel Academy High School, Hermosa Beach*
17. City Honors High School, Inglewood
18. Woodbridge High School, Irvine
19. Arnold O. Beckman School, Irvine*
20. La Canada High School, La Canada*
21. Crescenta Valley High School, La Crescenta*
22. Clark Magnet High School, La Crescenta*
23. Lancaster High School and Antelope Valley Union High School District, Lancaster
24. Frazier Mountain High School, Lebec
25. The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles
26. Foshay Learning Center, Los Angeles*
27. King Drew High School, Los Angeles
28. A & S Youth Organization, Los Angeles
29. Manual Arts High School, Los Angeles
30. Crenshaw High School, Los Angeles
31. Milken Community High School, Los Angeles
32. Loyola High School, Los Angeles
33. Bishop Alemany High School, Mission Hills
34. John Burroughs High School, Los Angeles*
35. Campbell Hall School, North Hollywood
36. North Hollywood High School, North Hollywood
37. John Muir High School, Pasadena*
38. Mira Costa High School, Redondo Beach
39. Reseda High School, Reseda
40. Poly High School, Riverside
41. Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, Rolling Hills Estates
42. San Marino High School, San Marino*
43. Rolling Hills Preparatory School, San Pedro
44. Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks
45. West Ranch High School, Hart High School, Academy of the Canyons, Stevenson Ranch*
46. Harvard-Westlake School, Studio City
47. La Reina High School, Thousand Oaks High School, Westlake High School and Newbury Park High School, Thousand Oaks
48. South High School, North High School, West High School and Torrance High School, Torrance
49. Vacaville High School and Solano County Office of Education ROP, Vacaville
50. High Tech-LA High School, Van Nuys
51. Saint Bonaventure High School, Ventura
52. Foothill Technology High School, Ventura
53. Verbum Dei High School, Watts
54. West Covina High School, West Covina
55. Chaminade College Preparatory, West Hills

Florida, Massachusetts and International schools:

56. Rockledge High School, Cocoa Beach High School, Viera High School and School Board of Brevard County, Florida
57. Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science, Massachusetts
58. Region Metropolitana, Santiago, Chile