Montana Tech will host Robotics Competition
On Saturday, December 15, 2012, Montana Tech will be the host site for a FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics Competition. FTC is designed for high-schoolers who want to compete head to head using a sports model. Teams of up to 10 students are responsible for designing, building, and programming their robots to compete on a 12’ x 12’ field in an Alliance format against other teams. Robots are built using a TETRIX platform that is reusable from year-to-year using a variety of languages. Teams, including Coaches, Mentors, and Volunteers, are required to develop strategy and build robots based on sound engineering principles. Awards are given for the competition as well as community outreach, design, and other real-world accomplishments. The event will be held in the HPER complex on the Montana Tech campus. Montana Tech is a qualifier site for a total of 36 teams participating in the 2012-2013 FTC Montana State Championship Tournament. The qualifying tournament will determine eligibility to compete in the state championship event in Bozeman in February. The high-school competitors get to: This is the first time Montana Tech has hosted this event. The public is welcome to attend and cheer for the teams. There is no charge to attend. "We’re excited to host this event and are looking forward to meeting the teams. To date there are 17 teams from high schools around the state signed up for this qualifier event, so we expect it to be very exciting," noted Michele Van Dyne. The schedule of events includes: For more information, please contact Dr. Michele Van Dyne, Associate Professor, Montana Tech Computer Science Department, at 406-496-4855.
