Whir, Buzz, Beep: Robotics Tourney Comes To Rockland

RAMAPO, N.Y. -- If you can’t bring the kids to the competition, bring the competition to the kids, say the organizers of an upcoming robotics tourney in the Ramapo village of Suffern.

FIRST®, an international youth organization that promotes science, technology and engineering, will be holding a robotics competition at Rockland Community College in Suffern in March.
Photo Credit: *FIRST/Facebook*

A team celebrates a win at a prior robotics competition sponsored by FIRST®, an international youth organization that promotes science, technology and engineering.
Photo Credit: *FIRST/Facebook*

FIRST®, an international youth organization that promotes science, technology and engineering, will be hosting a robotics competition, such as this one, at Rockland Community College in March.
Photo Credit: *FIRST/Facebook*

Carol Reif

01/12/2017 12:00 p.m.

FIRST® NYC says 48 teams of future technologists and entrepreneurs from Rockland, Westchester and Putnam counties will face off in March in Rockland Community College’s Eugene Levy Fieldhouse.

What’s special about the contest, said Pat Daly, FIRST® NYC’s regional director, is that the Hudson Valley Regional is a new “geographically convenient option” for students who don’t want to compete in New York City or way up north in the state capitol region.

Each of the participating teams received a parts “kit” that contained motors, batteries, control system components, construction materials and automation bit … and limited instructions.

Working with adult mentors, team members have a mere six weeks to build the robot that will be put through its paces at the tourney.

FIRST®, which stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology," is based in New Hampshire.

The international youth organization aims to not only to get young people interested in robotics and careers in science, technology and engineering – “all areas critical to the Hudson Valley economy” -- but also to encourage educators to incorporate more of these types of programs into after-school activities, Daly said.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Friday, March 24, and Saturday, March 25.

RCC is located at 145 College Road in Suffern.

For more information, visit www.nycfirst.org/nycfirst-events/hudson-valley-regional.

Parents, prospective mentors and students interested in getting involved or starting a team to compete in 2018, can contact frcteams@firstinspires.org or visit: http://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/start-a-team.

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