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POWELL, Wyo. ─ FIRST Tech Challenge teams from high schools across Montana and Wyoming will be in Powell Saturday, Jan. 17, to test drive their robots in the Yellowstone RoboRumble Tournament.
FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) students go head-to-head after designing, building and programming their robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. Composed of students, coaches, mentors and volunteers, the teams are required to develop strategy and build robots based on sound engineering principles.
This year’s competition theme is Cascade Effect and played on a 12-by-12-foot square competition field. Teams score points by using their robots to place plastic balls into rolling goals and/or a center goal and by moving their rolling goals into a parking zone.
Awards are given for the competition as well as for community outreach, design and other real-world accomplishments.
Teams competing in the Yellowstone RoboRumble will be testing and fine-tuning their robot designs, programs, and checking out the competition in preparation for state-qualifying tournaments later in the year. Students will also refine their presentation skills as they present to judges and talk to spectators about their robots.
The public is invited to watch these students and their robots go head-to-head. Opening ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. in the Nelson Performing Arts Center Auditorium with a keynote speaker from the University of Wyoming. First rounds will start at 10:45 a.m. in Cabre Gym.
The Yellowstone RoboRumble is organized by FTC teams from Powell High School and by Northwest College. It is sponsored by the National Center for Atmospheric Research-Wyoming Supercomputing Center in cooperation with the UW College of Computer Science.