(BLOOMINGTON) – This weekend, thousands of students, parents, teachers, and industry professionals will convene at Bloomington High School South for the FIRST® Robotics FRC competition. More than 3,600 high school teams worldwide will participate in the FIRST® Robotics Competition this year.
FIRST® INFINITE RECHARGE has high school robotics team students around the world eager to capture a championship. After the game was revealed back in January, students have been brain-storming and drawing up designs for robots that will compete at several events this season. Teams had about 8 weeks to build their robots and now the competition season is underway. This event is the first in a series of four competitions that qualify teams to compete at the state championship where teams will qualify to move on to the world championship.
This event is the first one for the 2020 season. Presented by the Indiana Army National Guard it is the first time a FIRST FRC competition has been hosted in Bloomington.
Natalie Edwards, Director of Undergraduate Recruiting at the IU School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering said, “The IU School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering (SICE) is very excited to partner with the Quadrangles FRC Team 3494 and IndianaFIRST as a district host site for the first time! Over the past few years, SICE has hosted several FIRST events as a way to support robotics-interested students living in the southern Indiana area. It is vital that we continue offering these events to encourage students’ passion in STEM fields.”
Alexander Mervar a current IU Freshman in the class of 2023 at the IU School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering and also a FIRST Alum of Cyber Blue FRC Team 234 said, “Hosting this event here in Bloomington really shows the drive and push that the IU School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering has for preparing its students for the future. So much so, that it has now driven them to create a district event here, which will not only improve the quality of students here at Bloomington already, but it will also help future Hoosiers as well.”
“FIRST isn’t about competing, it’s about cooperating, and recognizing that if you have the right tools, you’ll be able to make this world a better place for yourself and for the country,” said Dean Kamen, president of DEKA Research and Development and FIRST Founder, adding, “There is no stimulus package that will have as much return as stimulating a bunch of kids to become the workforce of the future, the problem-solvers, the creators of the future.”
While the students are attracted to the challenge of building a robot, the main focus of FIRST® is on the skills the students develop in the program.
The atmosphere of a robotics competition is markedly similar to a basketball game; fans decked out in spirited clothing, constant cheering, and the moments of euphoria when a team scores just before the buzzer rings. It’s a truly incredible experience for all involved.
Schedule:
Friday, March 6, 2020
- 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Pits Open
Saturday, March 7, 2020
- 8:00 am – 10:30 am – Pits Open, Practice Rounds, Inspections
- 10:30 am – 11:00 am – Opening Ceremonies
- 11:00 am – 1:00 pm – Qualification Matches
- 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Lunch
- 2:00 pm – 6:30 pm – Qualification Matches
- 6:30 pm – 7:00 pm – Closing Ceremonies
- 8:00 pm – Pits Close*
Sunday, March 8, 2020
- 8:00 am – Pits Open
- 9:00 am – 9:30 am – Opening Ceremonies
- 9:30 am – 11:30 pm – Qualification Matches
- 11:45 pm – 12:15 pm – Alliance Selections
- 12:15 pm – 1:15 pm – Lunch
- 1:15 pm – 4:00 pm – Playoff Matches
- 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm – Awards Ceremony
- 6:30 pm – Pits Close*
*Schedule subject to change. All times are estimated based on flow of rounds. See Pit Administration table for updated times.
