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Media Contact: Nichole O'Grady
(818) 677-2130
nichole.ogrady.67@csun.edu
Media Release Archives

MEDIA RELEASE

Teens to visit CSUN for Robotic Championship

(NORTHRIDGE, Calif., April 22, 2008) — Gone are the days when games involved simple rules and basic playing materials. The thousands of teens competing in the Vex Robotics World Championship have forgone the days of simplicity for a sport requiring ingenuity in science, math and technical ability.

High school students from around the world will descend upon Cal State Northridge to compete in the first national robotics challenge known as "Bridge Battle," created by Innovation First, Inc. Games are scheduled to begin Friday, May 2, at 9 a.m. in the Matadome located on the east side of campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge.

"Winning teams from various Vex programs around the country, and the world, deserve the chance to celebrate their accomplishments and compete with each other," said Tarek Shraibati, a CSUN manufacturing systems engineering professor and one of the event’s organizers. "Cal State Northridge decided to help organize and run a Vex World Championship event that would invite all the top teams from various competitions that use Vex Robotics."

The Vex Robotics Competition Bridge Battle game was created by Innovation First for the Asian Robotics League this past year. Multiple countries ended up running tournaments, creating the demand for a culminating championship for teams from around the world. CSUN, working with partners such as Autodesk and the Future Foundation, has organized the 2008 Vex Robotics World Championship to celebrate the achievements of the teams over the past year. Students work with teachers and mentors, applying real-world math and science concepts to solve the challenge. Their relationships culminate with the competition, which measures the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration and the determination of the students.

"Vex Robotics Competitions have given students a hands-on tool to enhance their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and learn critical skills such as teamwork, collaboration, critical thinking, professionalism and problem-solving," said Shraibati.

While robotics has increased in popularity among today’s students at both the secondary and post-secondary level—with hundreds of different U.S. events and competitions taking place in 2007 alone—only five to ten percent of schools take advantage of these programs. The competition gives students a chance to learn more about STEM education and help foster the next generation of future engineers.

Participants in the competition will include teams from countries in Asia, Europe, South America along with teams from Canada and many states in the U.S. such as Michigan, California, Hawaii and Indiana.

The event is free and open to the public. Parking is $5 and is available in lot G4. For more information on Vex Robotics World Championship visit www.robotevents.com.