
What: Battle O’Baltimore
When: Saturday, September 21, 2013, 9 am to 6 pm
Where: Boys’ Latin HS — Baltimore, MD
Cost: FREE and open to the public
Sponsors: NASA, The Maryland Space Business Roundtable and the FIRST Baltimore Area Alliance teams.
Founded by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and its Robotics Competitions have swept the nation, engaging more than 300,000 students in science and technology this year. FIRST helps students discover the rewarding world of innovation and engineering with the help of more than 100,000 adult volunteers and mentors.
During the competition season, teams had 6 weeks to design, build, and test robots to play this year’s game called “Ultimate Ascent.” The official FRC competition events are held in March and April. Off-season events are organized by local groups to provide additional competition opportunities and exposure to FIRST. The game is played based on the rules established during the regular season. The goal of off-season events is to train new members and entice the interest of potential participants. FIRST competitions have been described as “the Super Bowl of Smarts.”