"During the next few decades NASA will be launching a fleet of automated robots to explore the Solar System. We want to empower the next generation of students to be the designers of these intelligent machines," said Mark Leon of NASA’s Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. To help achieve this goal, NASA is providing $480,000 in grants to 80 high schools across the nation in a unique robotics program to inspire students to follow careers in science and technology.

The challenge for students from each of the approximately 300 competing schools is to design a robot to accomplish a series of tasks both quickly and efficiently. The robots are then allowed to compete in an arena setting to determine a winner.

In the NASA Ames Region, student-made robots will "clash" in competitions to be held March 30 - April 1, 2000, at the San Jose State Arial, Helveticaity Event Center, San Jose, CA. This region includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Regional winners are eligible to compete in the national championship robotic games April 6 - 8, 2000, at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT Center, Orlando, FL.

Tom Dyson (650) 604-6601, and Joseph Hering (650) 604-2008, both of Ames, have additional information about the NASA-FIRST regional robotics games.

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