WTNH News Channel 8 / News / 1999

	Students Command Robots in State Competition (Hartford-WTNH) _ Robots took center stage today in Hartford. They're the creations of high school students from Connecticut and other parts of New England. The annual robotics competition is designed to get kids excited about science and technology. News Channel 8's Jocelyn Sigue reports. Thousands of spectators in Hartford weren't cheering for their favorite band or professional sport Saturday. They're standing up for science and technology at the New England Regional FIRST robotics competition. Eric Vogel, Shelton High Driver: "The task is to pick up these floppies and get them off the floor you get one point for getting them off the floor - now everyone you get raise eight feet above the air you get three points." Shelton high students were one of 41 teams fighting for a trip to Disney's EPOCT Center and the nationals. They've spent the last six weeks constructing their robot made from a box of basic car parts. Volunteer engineers and teachers helped. Kerry Taylor, Shelton High Teacher: "They didn't like me pushing 'em but we were done a week and a half early so we could practice. But when we were practicing and everybody else had nothing done were out here and still working on it they were so happy when we got here." United Technologies sponsored this year's competition. They're hoping it will keep more kids interested in science and a career in New England. Tom Andrea, United Technologies: "There are a lot of companies like UTC in Connecticut that need their talents, and we hope with this kind of event they'll say these kind of companies are companies that we want to work for." Eric Fleming, Farmington High Team: "We get the hands on work we normally wouldn't get in a classroom we get to go out use the machines talk with the engineers use the computers do everything that they really do so it really gives us a great idea of what goes on... I would definitely like to pursue engineering after this it's definitely opened my eyes to what goes on I now have a good foundation for my future." The teams had corporate sponsors from around the state. Shelton finished 16 out of 41. Not a finalist but they did get the Rookie All-Star award. This was their first year. Eagle Hill and Greenwich were winners in Saturday's competition. Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

Students Command Robots in State Competition
(Hartford-WTNH) _ Robots took center stage today in Hartford. They're the creations of high school students from Connecticut and other parts of New England. The annual robotics competition is designed to get kids excited about science and technology.
News Channel 8's Jocelyn Sigue reports.

Fans Thousands of spectators in Hartford weren't cheering for their favorite band or professional sport Saturday. They're standing up for science and technology at the New England Regional FIRST robotics competition.

Eric Vogel, Shelton High Driver: "The task is to pick up these floppies and get them off the floor you get one point for getting them off the floor - now everyone you get raise eight feet above the air you get three points."

Shelton high students were one of 41 teams fighting for a trip to Disney's EPOCT Center and the nationals. They've spent the last six weeks constructing their robot made from a box of basic car parts. Volunteer engineers and teachers helped.

Kerry Taylor, Shelton High Teacher: "They didn't like me pushing 'em but we were done a week and a half early so we could practice. But when we were practicing and everybody else had nothing done were out here and still working on it they were so happy when we got here."

Robots United Technologies sponsored this year's competition. They're hoping it will keep more kids interested in science and a career in New England.

Tom Andrea, United Technologies: "There are a lot of companies like UTC in Connecticut that need their talents, and we hope with this kind of event they'll say these kind of companies are companies that we want to work for."

Eric Fleming, Farmington High Team: "We get the hands on work we normally wouldn't get in a classroom we get to go out use the machines talk with the engineers use the computers do everything that they really do so it really gives us a great idea of what goes on... I would definitely like to pursue engineering after this it's definitely opened my eyes to what goes on I now have a good foundation for my future."

The teams had corporate sponsors from around the state. Shelton finished 16 out of 41. Not a finalist but they did get the Rookie All-Star award. This was their first year.

Eagle Hill and Greenwich were winners in Saturday's competition.

Today's News Page.

WTNH Home Page.