The UGA College of Engineering will host the 2016 FIRST Robotics Peachtree District State Championship April 14-16 at Stegeman Coliseum. Approximately 1,200 students representing 45 teams will participate in the competition that’s billed as a “varsity sport for the mind.”
The event is part of the annual For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology, or FIRST, family of robotics competitions. FIRST is a nonprofit organization that works to inspire young people to become scientists and engineers. More than 400,000 students in 89 countries participate in FIRST Robotics competitions, according to the organization.
FIRST competitions are high-energy events surrounded by a game-day frenzy as teams of robots square off in front of thousands of cheering fans. The organization announces a new robotics challenge each January. Students, mentored by professional engineers and educators, have six weeks to build a robot from a common kit of parts. They work with hundreds of components, including programmable radio controllers, motors, electrical circuitry and mechanical parts.
