Qualcomm Sponsors Annual Robotics Competition
SAN DIEGO – More than 1,500 high school students from 36 San Diego area schools had a chance to showcase their work designing and building an original robot in the 18th annual FIRST Robotics Competition.
The event, presented by Qualcomm, also attracted competitors from elsewhere in California, Hawaii and even Azerbaijan.
The competition was held March 22-24 at LionTree Arena at UC San Diego.
Fifty-one teams of students and engineering and technical mentors demonstrated their skill for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), competing for honors and recognition that rewarded design excellence, competitive play, sportsmanship and high-impact partnerships between schools, businesses and communities.
Founded by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a robotics community preparing young people for the future.
Winners earned a spot at the International FIRST Championship to be held April 17-20 in Houston.
“Qualcomm has proudly sponsored the FIRST Robotics Challenge Regional in San Diego since 2006. Our commitment to FIRST is essential to developing a talented STEM workforce to continue helping the world tackle its more important challenges,” said Angela Baker, vice president, Qualcomm Incorporated.
With a limited time frame, students work with professional engineering mentors to design a robot that solves a problem using a Kit of Parts and a standard set of rules. Once these young inventors create the robot, their teams participate in regional competitions that measure the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration and the determination of students.
Sponsors and volunteers in the competition come from some of the most highly regarded organizations in the area. Sponsors provide resources including time and talent from professional mentors, services, equipment, financial contributions and volunteers.
