FIRST Reprise at the MN State Fair

August 25, 2009

By Greg B.

For all those attending the 2009 “Great Minnesota Get Together,” be sure and make time to visit the Education Building, where Minnesota FIRST teams will be displaying their 2009 competition robots and educating visitors about the robotics programs offered by FIRST and their impact on students interested in science, math, technology and engineering.

Similar to last year, when FIRST made its fair debut to huge crowds, at least two Minnesota FIRST Robotics Competition teams will be there each day of the fair, which runs August 27 to September 7. FRC teams including Prior Lake, Eagan, Champlin Park, and Roseville, will be present (visit http://www.mnstatefair.org/pages/09_Daily_Schedules/08-27_09_DS.html for the daily schedule of teams competing at the fair). All FRC demonstrations are scheduled for 10 AM and 2 PM each day. FRC robots will not compete on Monday, August 31. Teams will compete against each other in a variety of challenges that will run throughout the day. These live demonstrations, featuring the 2009 Lunacy robots each team built this last winter, will challenge robots and operators alike in a contest to earn points. This year, the challenges will consist of such activates as scoring Lunacy game pieces in trailers, pulling weights, and tugs of war between robots. The robots that earn one of the top three scores on their day at the fair will be invited back to compete in the championship on Labor Day, the final day of the fair. Mark Lawrence, chairman, MinnesotaFIRST Regional Planning Committee, notes that "The challenges are fair and should be a lot of fun to watch this year."

As an added bonus, FIRST Tech Challenge robots will also be demonstrating in the Education Building at 12 noon on Monday, August 31. This one-time demonstration will feature FTC teams from Edina, Monticello, and Prior Lake, and will take place between the usual FRC demonstrations that day. For the latest information about FTC in Minnesota, be sure to check out the new Minnesota FTC-specific website, now up and running at www.mnftc.org.

So be sure to come and see FIRST at the fair, it should be a lot of fun!