FIRST® Robotics Competition Season Officially Underway on Long Island after Kick Off Event at Stony Brook University

Official Rules for the 2017 FIRST STEAMWORKS^SM Game Unveiled Via NASA Simulcast
 
CAPTION: Two members of the FIRST^® Robotics Competition Team #6746, from Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset, FIRST Long Island’s first-ever all-female team, pick up their rookie kit of parts with a team mentor during the FIRST Robotics Competition Kick Off, presented by School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc., at Stony Brook University on Saturday, January 7.
 
Following the FIRST^® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition Kick Off Event that was held at Stony Brook University on Saturday, January 7, the FIRST Long Island build season is officially underway. Presented by School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. (SBPLI), the event hosted students, mentors and parents from 48 FIRST Long Island teams, who gathered in anticipation of learning the official rules for FIRST STEAMWORKS^SM.
 
Described by FIRST as a competition that “invites two adventurers’ clubs, in an era where steam power reigns, to prepare their airships for a long-distance race,” FIRST STEAMWORKS is every part the ode to a time gone by. During the competition, two 3-team alliances will take to the playing field to complete a variety of tasks in an effort to score points and win the round and eventually advance to eliminations and finals.
 
As with all FIRST Robotics Competitions, FIRST STEAMWORKS will begin with a 15-second autonomous period, during which robots may only operate on pre-programmed instructions to complete one of three tasks and/or cross the baseline. During the remaining two minutes and 15 seconds, students will control the team robots to build steam pressure, start rotors and prepare for flight. Detailed instructions for each of these tasks are available in the official FIRST STEAMWORKS Overview and a visual description can be found in this animated video from FIRST.
 
As the theme of this year’s game, FIRST STEAMWORKS will be in full-force during the 2017 SBPLI Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics Competition scheduled to take place at Hofstra University on March 31 and April 1. 
For more information on SBPLI or the FIRST Robotics Competition program on Long Island, please visit www.firstlongisland.org.
 
***Additional photos and video from Kick Off are available upon request.
 
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About FIRST^®  
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST^® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $30 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST^® Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST^® Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; FIRST^® LEGO^® League for Grades 4-8; and FIRST^® LEGO^® League Jr. for Grades K-4. Gracious Professionalism^® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.firstinspires.org.
 
About School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc.
School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. (SBPLI) is a fully volunteer-run 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1984 by Fred Breithut with the goal of developing partnerships between local high schools and businesses. His goal was to provide students with practical experience and curriculum development, while helping the business community develop its future workforce, which resulted in the formation of over 100 partnerships. In 1999, SBPLI brought the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) to Long Island, which featured just eight FIRST Robotics Competition high school teams. Since then, the Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics Competition has grown to over 50 teams competing each year. SBPLI also hosts Long Island’s annual FIRST LEGO League Qualifying and Championship Tournaments and the FIRST LEGO League Jr. Expos, in which over 2,000 elementary and middle school students from Nassau and Suffolk Counties take part each year. In 2016, SBPLI added the FIRST Tech Challenge to its roster of programs. For more information about the programs, or to learn how to become a sponsor, visit www.sbpli-lifirst.org.