Who

UNLV's Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering will host more than 1,000 high school students on 38 teams from throughout the nation - including nine Clark County School District high schools - during the seventh annual FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition.

When

Friday, April 1, 2011
8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Matches 9:50 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Awards 4:30 p.m. (break noon to 1 p.m.)

Saturday, April 2, 2011
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Matches 9:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Final Rounds 1 to 3 p.m.
Awards 3 p.m. (break noon to 1 p.m.)

Where

Thomas & Mack Center at UNLV

Details

The event is free and open to the public. All the excitement of a championship football game, but with much more at stake--the FIRST Robotics competition combines elements of sport with science and technology in a high-energy, team-driven contest that has inspired thousands of high school students to pursue careers in science and engineering.

The theme of this year's event is "Logo Motion," during which two teams of three robots compete on a 54' by 27' field, earning points by hanging inflated plastic shapes (elements of the FIRST logo) on a grid on either end of the field. The higher the pieces are placed on the grid, the more points the alliance earns. Additional points are awarded at the end of each match when small, independent robots ascend poles located on the field and trigger a sensor at the top.

For a complete list of teams and additional event information, please visit http://engineering.unlv.edu/first or contact Dawn Barlow-Curtis at (702) 895-3965.