The FIRST Robotics Competition Greater D.C. Regional will be held March 28 and 29 at George Mason University’s Patriot Center. The competition is free and open to the public.
There, FRC teams will compete using robots they designed in what’s been dubbed a varsity Sport for the Mind ™. The competition combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology.
The opening ceremony starts at 8:30 a.m. at GMU, located at 4400 University Drive in Fairfax. The robot matches start at 9 a.m. A closing and awards ceremony will be held March 28 at 5:30 p.m. and March 29 at 4:30 p.m.
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) designs accessible, innovative programs that build not only science and technology skills and interests, but also self-confidence, leadership and life skills in the next generation of innovators,
engineers and technicians.
The Greater D.C. Regional is an annual event for the FIRST Robotics Competition. Every January, FIRST unveils a competition or game at an annual kick-off event that is simulcast to locations around the world. Teams receive a kit of common parts that are used to build the core systems of a robot, but they won’t find an instruction manual. Students work with hundreds of components, including engineering mainstays such as programmable radio controllers, motors, electrical circuitry and mechanical parts. Following a six-week design and build phase, teams enter one of 50 regional competitions, including the Greater D.C. Regional. The season culminates with the FIRST World Championship in St. Louis, Missouri.
