It’s a fight to the death for hundreds of robots at the Georgia Dome this weekend!
More than 10,000 students from around the world have descended upon Atlanta for the 19th annual FIRST National Competition. FIRST is a non-profit organization founded almost 20 years ago to get kids interested in science and technology.
Gina Triolo is a high school senior who traveled from Pennsylvania to compete. This is her fourth and final competition before she picks where she’ll go to college. She’s hoping for Princeton or MIT.
“We are trying to get our kids excited about this and other people too who are just coming to visit the competition,” Triolo said.
FIRST matches teams of kids aged six to 18 years old with mentors. The mentors are engineers and other technology professionals who work with the students building massive robots to compete in various soccer competitions for scholarships and world recognition.
More than 30 countries — ranging from Australia to Brazil — are represented this weekend to put their robots to the test. The qualifying robots have to be built in six weeks and can’t weigh more than 120 lbs.
Simrat Sodhi traveled from Canada. She says the weekend gives her a chance to see what other teams are doing. As much fun as it is, it’s also a great chance to network and learn. Many leave the competition with new contacts from universities and potential employers.
Sodhi, like other students, gain problem-solving experience with their mentors. The kids made the trip to Atlanta with their own funds. They’ve built websites, designed t-shirts and even courted corporate sponsors — all to get a little face time.
The national winners will be announced later this weekend.