HAWAII ROBOTICS TEAMS KICK OFF THE FIRST ROBOTICS 2012 SEASON

Media Invited to Attend Hawaii FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Kickoff as Hawaii Students Participate Through NASA-TV Global Broadcast Hookup & Webcast

WHAT: Hawaii teams will join the global kick-off event to launch the 2012 season of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition.

• During the event, teams worldwide will be shown the 2012 robotics game field and challenge for the first time and will receive an exciting, new Kit of Parts made up of motors, batteries, a control system, and a mix of automation components- but no instructions. Teams will have six weeks to design and build robots to meet this year’s engineering challenge.
• The 2012 season will include season will include the annual FIRST in Hawaii Regional Robotics Competition at the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Stan Sherrif Center on March 22-24.

WHO: Addressing Hawaii’s 36 FIRST Robotics teams and the more than 2,355 teams worldwide, dignitaries and public figures from across the nation will deliver remarks to the international audience on video and in person, including Hawaii’s very own Waialua Robotics Team. The guests include:

• Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report
• Former President, George W. Bush
• Chairman’s Award video by FIRST Team 359, Waialua High School, Hawaii
• Former President, Bill Clinton
• Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company
• Dean Kamen, FIRST Founder & President of DEKA Research & Development Corp.
• Aneesh Chopra, White House CTO
• Charlie Bolden, NASA Administrator
• will.i.am, Grammy-award winning artist/producer and Director of Creative Innovation, Intel
• and other Special Guests

What: The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an annual competition that challenges high-school students- working alongside professional Mentors – to design and build a robot of their own, and compete in a ‘Sport for the Mind’ that measures the effectiveness of each robot, the power of teamwork and collaboration, and Gracious Professionalism. Students build and program their own robots against a field of competitors and experience the excitement of science, engineering, technology, and innovation.

When: Saturday, January 7, 2012 - 5:30a.m. to 7:00a.m.

Where: McKinley High School Auditorium, 1039 South King St. Honolulu, HI 96814

Hawaii FIRST Teams will tune in via NASA-TV broadcast and Web. Access the NASA webcast via link from www.usfirst.org in the News & Headlines section.

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