News Releases
WPI to Host 9th Annual BattleCry Robotics Competition May 9-10
High School Students from Across Northeast to Compete in FIRST Event
For Immediate Release / April 30, 2008
Contact:
Lorraine U. Martinelle, News Writer, +1-508-831-6425, lurbans@wpi.edu
Eileen Brangan Mell, Director of Public Relations, +1-508-831-6785, ebmell@wpi.edu
A scene from the 2007 edition of BattleCry@WPI.
What
Students from 60 high schools around the Northeast will compete in BattleCry@WPI 9, one of the largest robotics contests in New England. The competition, which is hosted by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and cosponsored by SolidWorks, BAE Systems, and FIRST, offers high school FIRST robotics teams the chance to test their skills and technical expertise in postseason competition.
Who
Forty-eight student teams from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island.
When
Friday, May 9: 5 to 9 p.m.
Saturday, May 10: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Where
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Harrington Auditorium, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, Mass.
More Info
The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition is an exciting, multinational contest in which teams of professionals and young people build robots using a standard "kit of parts" and a common set of rules, and enter them in a series of competitions designed by Dean Kamen and Woodie Flowers.
In each BattleCry match, two three-robot alliances, called Red and Blue, will attempt to score points by completing counterclockwise laps around the field with their robots. Additional points may be scored by maneuvering large balls around the field. Extra points are awarded if the ball passes over a 6.5-foot-tall overpass while a robot completes a lap. Each match begins with a 15-second "robocoach" period, during which the robots must operate autonomously with limited input from a student "robocoach." At the end of the match, balls left on the overpass and robots stopped on designated bonus circles earn extra points.
For more information, including the full schedule of events, visit the competition's website, call +1-508-831-6122, or email battlecry@wpi.edu.
About Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI was one of the nation's first engineering and technology universities. WPI's 18 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, management, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to the BA, BS, MS, ME, MBA and PhD. WPI's world-class faculty work with students in a number of cutting-edge research areas, leading to breakthroughs and innovations in such fields as biotechnology, fuel cells, and information security, materials processing, and nanotechnology. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Perspective Program. There are more than 20 WPI project centers throughout North America and Central America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe.