FIRST Robotics Teams Converge for Off-season Event

On Saturday May 19th, Matthews Arena will be the site of the fourth annual Beantown Blitz, Northeastern University’s off-season FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) showdown. More than 36 teams from across New England will battle for dominance in the day-long competition. Northeastern’s FIRST Robotics team, #125, the Nutrons, comprised of local high-school students and several Northeastern University student mentors, will be in attendance, hoping to replicate its earlier success this year when it won the Boston Regional Competition.

“We’re thrilled to be hosting the Beantown Blitz for the fourth year in a row at Northeastern,” said Don Goldthwaite, Assistant Academic Specialist and FIRST Robotics Faculty Coordinator. “These competitions present a unique opportunity to unlock the passion that high-school students have for problem-solving, working as a team and achieving success. Win or lose, this will be a great day to remember for all of the teams involved.”

FIRST Robotics Competition is a unique sport of the mind designed to help high-school-aged young people discover how interesting and rewarding the life of engineers and researchers can be. The FIRST Robotics Competition challenges teams of young people and their mentors to solve a common problem in a six-week timeframe using a standard “kit of parts” and a common set of rules. Teams build robots and enter them in a series of competitions designed by FIRST founder Dean Kamen and a committee of engineers and other professionals.

Teams consist of 10 to 20 high-school-aged young people and a handful of engineers-mentors. The students pilot the robots on the field. Each school year, teams are formed in the fall in preparation for the 6 week design and build season which begins in January. Regional competitions take place throughout the month of March and the official season culminates with the Championships in April.

For a full schedule of the Beantown Blitz, please visit: http://www.nutrons.neu.edu/btb/schedule.

For more information, please contact Laura Shea at 617-373-5427 or l.shea@neu.edu.

About the NUTRONS:

The Nutrons were founded in 1998 by Northeastern University freshman engineering student Joe Canavan. Since then, college students have been the driving force of the team and have mentored numerous high-school students from around the area. The Nutrons were the national champions in 2001.

About FIRST:

FIRST was founded in 1989 to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, NH, the 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit public charity designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, while building self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills.

About Northeastern University:

Founded in 1898, Northeastern University is a private research university located in the heart of Boston. Northeastern is a leader in interdisciplinary research, urban engagement, and the integration of classroom learning with real-world experience. The university’s distinctive cooperative education program, where students alternate semesters of full-time study with semesters of paid work in fields relevant to their professional interests and major, is one of the largest and most innovative in the world. The University offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate in six undergraduate colleges, eight graduate schools, and two part-time divisions. For more information, please visit www.northeastern.edu.