HUNTSVILLE — The Rocket City Regional, Alabama’s annual For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition, is scheduled for this weekend.
Opening ceremonies for the free event are at 8:30 a.m. Friday in Huntsville’s Von Braun Center South Hall. Qualification matches will follow with awards ceremonies Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
FIRST Robotics is a global robotics competition for students in grades 9-12. Teams are challenged to raise funds, design a team brand, hone teamwork skills, and build and program industrial-sized robots to play a difficult field game against competitors.
More than 1,000 high school students on 47 teams from 10 states and 4 countries will compete in a new robotics game called, “Crescendo.”
District and regional competitions, such as the Rocket City Regional, are held across the country during March and April, providing teams a chance to qualify for the 2024 FIRST Robotics Competition Championship events late this month in Houston.
NASA and its Robotics Alliance Project provide grants for high school teams and support for FIRST Robotics competitions to address the critical national shortage of students pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) careers.
This FIRST Robotics Competition, the Rocket City Regional, is supported by the Marshall Space Flight Center and NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement.
