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FIRST Receives Product Donation

IndustrialNetworking.net
01/28/2009

For the fifth consecutive season, Igus contributed products to FIRST a not-for-profit organization that inspires young people’s interest and participation in science and technology—as a gold-level supplier of its robotics competition, which denotes a contribution between $50,000 and $200,000. Igus donated various plastic machinery components, including cable carriers, linear guide systems, plastic plain bearings, spherical bearings and aluminum shafting.

The Igus components are included in the robotic competition’s kit of parts, which was distributed to more than 1,680 high school teams in January.

“For 18 years, the FIRST organization has been working to create a culture where students not only emulate leaders in science, technology and engineering, but also realize the potential within themselves to some day be one of those pioneers,” says FIRST president, Paul Gudonis. Igus donated the parts in conjunction with its Y.E.S. (Young Engineers Support) Program, designed to foster the mechanical design ideas of students with a passion for engineering. Through Y.E.S., Igus sponsors a number of engineering competitions and offers in-class presentations and free products to students of all ages.

On Jan. 3, FIRST unveiled its annual engineering challenge, this year called “Lunacy,” to the teams. During competition, the robots will have to use “orbit balls,” designated as moon rocks, empty cells or super cells, to score in trailer hitches attached to the robots of opposing teams.

More than 42,000 students from 10 countries will design and build robots to compete in regional events with winners advancing to the FIRST Championship in Atlanta this spring.

With the support of many of the world’s most well-known companies, FIRST hosts the Robotics Competition and Tech Challenge for high-school students, Lego League for children 9-14 years old, and Junior Lego League for 6-to-9-year-olds.