ROBOTS GEAR UP FOR STIFF COMPETITION IN
UH BOTBALL TOURNAMENT
Don’t let the name fool you. Botball may sound like an interplanetary
android competition, but it’s actually a friendly game using
robotics to teach science, mathematics, engineering and technology.
Middle and high school students will engage in this educational
challenge during the Texas Regional Botball Tournament on Saturday,
March 11, at the University of Houston.
For the fourth year in a row, UH is involved with this educational
event, which is free and open to the public. Hosted by the UH College
of Technology’s Coordination of Robotics Education (CORE),
it will feature student teams from Texas schools who will construct
robots using sensors, motors, software and LEGO® pieces. Teams
will then program their robots to complete specific tasks on a 4-foot-8-inch
board. Remote control devices are not allowed in the competition.
“Robotics is an effective teaching tool,” said Enrique
Barbieri, CORE director and professor of engineering technology.
“Many students have a familiarity with robots through movies
and television, but they don’t realize that the technology
that makes robots do what they do is used in our everyday lives.
Whether it’s an alarm clock or a programmable microwave oven,
robotics concepts are all around us. ”
CORE is part of the College of Technology’s Center for Technology
Literacy, which trains and supports Texas technology educators.
For more information about the Texas Regional Botball Robotics
Tournament, contact Taresa Mikle at
713-743-1855 or tmikle@central.uh.edu.
WHAT: |
Texas Regional Botball Robotics Tournament |
WHEN: |
8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday, March 11 |
WHERE: |
University of Houston
University Center – Houston Room (Room 251, Second floor)
Entrance 1 off Calhoun Rd. |
WHO: |
University of Houston’s College of Technology |
For more information about UH visit
the universitys Newsroom at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.
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