2010 First robots competition takes off

MANHASSET, NY — The latest kit for the First robots competition has been gifted from Cypress Semiconductor Corp., part of the company's over 1,900 customized kits already provided to First for use in building competitive robots.

The latest PSoC 3 FirstTouch Kit enables student teams to use the kits in the control units of the robots, hooked up through a USB connection to the robot's netbook computer.

The kit helps designers get acquainted with the new PSoC 3 architecture. The kit includes an array of sensors, I/O's, an accelerometer, a thermistor, proximity sensing, CapSense, a 12-pin wireless module header, and 28 general purpose I/O pins.

"The PSoC platform is absolutely ideal for students because its flexibility and programmability offer the opportunity to quickly implement and test new ideas," said said Patrick Kane, Cypress's director of University Relations, in a statement.

First — For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology— has launched its nineteenth First Robotics Competition earlier this year with the kickoff of a new robotics game called "Breakaway", broadcst to an estimated 50,000 around the world via a live NASA-TV broadcast feed and Web cast.

In the FRC "Breakaway" robotics game, two alliances of three teams will compete on a 27-by-54-foot field with bumps, attempting to earn points by collecting soccer balls in goals. Additional bonus points will be earned for each robot suspended in air and not touching the field at the end of the match.

At the FRC Kickoff, First teams were shown the "Breakaway" playing field and received a kit of parts made up of motors, batteries, a control system, a PC, and a mix of automation components — but no instructions.

Working with mentors, students have six weeks to design, build, program, and test their robots to meet the season's engineering challenge. Once the teams create a robot, they participate in competitions that measure the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration, and the determination of students.

More than 45,000 high-school students on over 1,800 teams from the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Herzegovina, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands, Turkey, and the U.K. are expected to participate in this year's competition.

The 2010 First championship will be held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, April 15-17.