25 Feb 2008 | Ref. 074/2008
NASHUA, New Hampshire — BAE Systems will host 48 New England high school teams participating in the 6th Annual Granite State Regional FIRST Robotics Competition at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, Feb. 28 – March 1 (Click to view teams).
FIRST — For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology — brings teams and their mentors together in a competition that emphasizes teamwork, innovation, and strategy. BAE Systems is investing more than $1 million in FIRST through donations of money, resources, and employee volunteering, making the company the largest corporate contributor to the FIRST Robotics Competition.
The competition is a high-tech spectator sporting event — the result of focused brainstorming, teamwork, dedicated mentoring, and adherence to project deadlines.
“The FIRST Robotics Competition is an exciting international contest that teams professionals and young people to solve an engineering design problem in an intense and competitive way,” said Sue Peckham, Granite State Regional co-chairwoman. “The program is a life-changing, career-molding experience — and a lot of fun.”
“FIRST provides a tremendous hands-on experience for the next generation of innovators,” said Mike Heffron, president of BAE Systems Electronics and Integrated Solutions. “FIRST graduates enter the workforce with a can-do attitude because they’ve already faced challenging problems and come up with innovative solutions. That’s the kind of experience that makes a difference at BAE Systems or anywhere else in the real world.”
During the 2008 “FIRST Overdrive” season, which kicked off Jan. 5, students worked with mentors to build robots to compete in three-team alliances. Robots are designed to race around an oval track, move large balls around the track, and pass the balls over or under a 6-foot-6-inch overpass. Robots may be programmed for autonomous movement and operated by radio control.
BAE Systems has supported FIRST since the early 1990s, shortly after the nonprofit organization was founded by inventor Dean Kamen. BAE Systems also will fund team grants and college scholarships for FIRST students attending select universities across the United States.
Of the more than 1,300 teams participating nationwide in the 2008 season, BAE Systems will directly support up to 60 teams located near company sites in 12 states and the District of Columbia. The company also will sponsor seven of 41 regional events, as well as the FIRST Robotics Championship, to be held April 17-19 in Atlanta.
BAE Systems’ sponsored teams unveiled their robot designs at Nashua South High School on Feb.15
About BAE Systems
BAE Systems is the premier global defense and aerospace company, delivering a full range of products and services for air, land, and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions, and customer support services. With 96,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems had 2006 sales that exceeded $27 billion*.
*On a pro forma basis, assuming BAE Systems had owned Armor Holdings Inc. for the whole of 2006
For more information, please contact:
Matthew Bates, BAE Systems
Tel: +1 603 885 4558 Mobile: +1 603 318 6521
matthew.bates@baesystems.com
Shannon Smith, BAE Systems
Tel: +1 703 907 8257 Mobile: +1 703 967 3854
shannon.n.smith@baesystems.com
