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Future Engineers to compete at UIndy

November 15, 2021 in Press Releases

Future Engineers compete at University of Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS—On Saturday, December 11th, 2021, hundreds of students from across the state of Indiana will be participating in the FIRST LEGO League state championship at the R.B. Annis School of Engineering on the campus of the University of Indianapolis.

Thirty-six teams made up of students in grades 4-8 will get three matches during which their robot has to solve a series of missions autonomously on a 4 X 8-foot table in two and a half minutes. Teams will be competing for an invitation to the FIRST World Festival to be held in April 2022 in Detroit, Michigan where they will compete against teams from over 100 countries. There is also a spot available for a team to be nominated for the Global Innovation Award powered by Star Wars Force for Change.

In addition to creating robots, students will also give a research-based presentation to a panel of judges. This competitive component is known as the Innovation Project. FLL’s Cargo Connect participants have learned how cargo is transported, sorted and delivered to its destinations. Using this information, students have identified real-world problems and completed the Innovation Project by developing innovative solutions to those problems.

Through the 2021-2022 season, FIRST® FORWARD presented by Qualcomm, teams have the power to reimagine a path forward and invent the future of transportation. Each FIRST program centers around the theme of transportation and explores the variety of ways technology and engineering have improved transportation throughout history. Transportation drives progress, impacting economies around the world and advancing globalization.

For information about starting an FLL team at your school, community group, or other organization please email info@indianafirst.org. You can also visit the FIRST website www.firstinspires.org/robotics/fll/start-a-team to learn how you can start a team today.

About FIRST

FIRST® is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18 (PreK-12) that can be facilitated in school or in structured afterschool programs. An international not-for-profit organization founded by accomplished inventor Dean Kamen in 1989, FIRST has a proven impact on STEM learning, interest, and skill-building well beyond high school. Boosted by a global support system of mentors, coaches, volunteers, alumni, and sponsors that include over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, teams operate under a signature set of FIRST Core Values to conduct research, fundraise, design, and build robots, then compete and celebrate at local, regional, and international events. High school students are eligible for more than $80 million in college scholarships. Learn more at firstinspires.org. 

About FIRST Indiana Robotics 

FIRST Indiana Robotics is an organization dedicated to growing FIRST robotics programs in the state of Indiana. Founded in the fall of 2001 as the Indiana-based affiliate of FIRST, FIRST Indiana Robotics brings FIRST programming to students in grades K-12, teaching them hands-on skills in engineering, science and technology that they can relate back to their class work.

About the R.B. Annis School of Engineering

The R.B. Annis School of Engineering at the University of Indianapolis was established in 2017 through a transformative $5 million grant from the R.B. Annis Educational Foundation. Since its founding, the Annis School has set a regional standard as an innovative engineering school offering seven specialized areas of study in computer engineering, electrical engineering, software engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial & systems engineering, computer science, and general engineering. In March 2021, the University dedicated the state-of-the-art R.B. Annis Hall as the new home of the Annis School. The expansion, which translates to more opportunities for innovative designs for student teams as well as industry and community connections, is the culmination of the University’s $25 million investment in its engineering programs. With 19 full-time faculty and directors and an average class size of ten students, the Annis School offers students real-world industry experience through internships and collaborative projects with internal and external clients, as well as mentoring and soft skills development.