Robots will be invading the Long Beach Arena Friday, March 26 and Saturday, March 27 in a competition presented by For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST).
Since 1989, the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) has staged competitions around the country to help young people discover the interesting and rewarding life of engineers and scientists. The competition is comprised of short games played by autonomous and remote-controlled robots. The robots are designed and built in six weeks, from a common set of parts, by teams of 15 to 25 high-school-aged people and a handful of engineer-mentors. The students remotely control the robots in competition rounds on the field.
January marks the start of the six-week “build” session each year. Competitions take place every March where 40 to 70 teams are cheered on by thousands of fans over two-and-a-half days. A championship event caps the season, complete with judges and referees. Awards are presented for design, technology, sportsmanship, and commitment to FIRST.
“The positive impact this event has on young people is wonderful to witness,” said Dan Spellens, Director of Theaters & Entertainment for the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center. “We welcome back the U.S. FIRST Robotics Competition to the Long Beach Arena.”
The event is free and open to the public.
