Robots take over Siegel Center

For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology was created by inventor and engineer Dean Kamen to encourage and motivate high-school students to pursue interests in science, technology and engineering. FIRST is a nonprofit educational organization that created the annual robotics competition.

More than 60 high schools participated in the event co-sponsored by VCU and NASA. Students from local J.R. Tucker High School were in a three-team partnership with teams from Grundy, Va. and Bronx, N.Y., according to The Richmond Times-Dispatch. The alliance defeated 58 teams from 10 states and the District of Columbia. The three teams will advance to the national championship, which will take place in Houston this April.

Teams had six weeks to invent a task-performing robot from 900 technical parts using a kit supplied by FIRST. They weren’t alone, though, as they were given aide and guidance from professionals and sponsors.

This year’s theme was “Stack Attack,” where robots competed against each other in a ring, stacking plastic storage containers for two minutes while foiling their opponents’ efforts.

“The robotics that the kids made were spectacular. I was very impressed by the clever ideas they came up from the parts,” said Robert Lee, a Richmond native who came to see the competition.

FIRST encourages teamwork, task and goal setting and creativity. The program takes classroom lessons and shows students how to apply them to the real world, and it motivates students to take initiative in science and technology. It also fosters a zeal for learning by integrating problem solving skills with hands-on experience.