OKLHAOMA CITY -- The KISS Institute for Practical Robotics will host Oklahoma's Ninth Annual Botball Educational Robotics Competition. The Botball Educational Robotics Program engages middle and high school aged students in a team-oriented robotics competition based on the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) educational principals.
The 2009 season marks the largest Oklahoma Regional Botball Robotics Tournament to date hosting 40 teams. Teams from Moore and Norman will join students from North Texas, Arkansas, New Mexico and more than two dozen other Oklahoma teams will be competing on Feb. 28 at the Science Museum Oklahoma.
Students from Norman's Alcott Middle School, Dimensions Academy High School, Irving Middle School, Longfellow Middle School, Norman High School and Whittier Middle School will join students from Moore West Junior High and Westmoore High School in the event. Officials said registration is still open for the event.
The tournament is free and open to the public. Seeding begins at 10 a.m. and double elimination rounds will begin at approximately 2 p.m.
Botball teams are made up of no more than 20 middle and high school students, who learn how to design, create and program two autonomous -- that is, no remote control -- robots to complete this year's game challenge based on the theme of "Alternative Energy."
Team leaders and student participants began their 2009 season at the Botball Educator's Professional Development Workshop Wednesday and Thursday at the University of Oklahoma. During this two-day professional development workshop, teams received their reusable robotics kit. Each kit will be used for competition and can be integrated into the classroom. This ensures that schools will be able to continue to grow their science, math and technology curricula through robotics after the Botball season is over.
The KISS Institute for Practical Robotics, an Oklahoma based non-profit organization, will present 14 Botball Workshops and Tournaments this year -- twelve in the United States and two based internationally. All teams who participate in their regional workshop and tournament are eligible to participate in the International Botball Tournament taking place this summer in Leesburg, Va., during the Global Conference on Educational Robotics on July 1-5.
Many Oklahoma Botball teams have received scholarships provided by generous local partners, such as: University of Oklahoma, Hille Foundation, Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Oklahoma EPSCoR, BancFirst, Kirkpatrick Family Foundation, University of Oklahoma College of Engineering, Tinker Federal Credit Union, Milstein Family Foundation, Leader Communications Incorporated and Arvest Bank.
For more information about Botball in Oklahoma, go to www.botball. org/oklahoma or e-mail info@kipr.org.
Local news
Botball, anyone?
Norman, Moore students to compete in state tournament
- Local news
-
-
Special zoning requested
The Norman Planning Commission meets Thursday and will consider special zoning for Joy’s Palace and a preliminary plat for the Fountain View North addition....
-
Norman looks at transportation package to fix traffic, flooding issues
The Robinson Street Underpass Project currently under way from Flood Avenue to Stubbeman Avenue is one project approved by Norman voters in the 2005 Bond Election. By securing funding with the bond, city staff was able to qualify for ...
-
Lexington city manager resigns
Lexington City Manager Jason Orr resigned in the city’s special council meeting Monday night, which was scheduled to discuss his employment in light of a misdemeanor charge of domestic abuse....
-
Norman North student is finalist in statewide contest
Norman North High School senior Joseph D’Amato is one of four finalists in the high school category for the Keep Oklahoma Beautiful’s End Litter video contest....
-
Services Friday for longtime car dealer Tommy Ferguson
Friends and family will gather Friday to remember longtime local automobile dealer Tommy Ferguson, 72. He died Monday after a lengthy illness....
-
Senate hopefuls reach out to county Republicans
Four men seeking the Republican nomination in Cleveland County’s Senate District 15 seat pledged Tuesday to cut taxes, eliminate unnecessary government services and open their personal tax returns....
-
Police chief: Investigation of official ‘a bad deal all around’
Police Chief Deana Allen has worked in Lexington for 18 years, and she likes it because it’s been calm, quiet and peaceful — at least until recently....
-
Technology, art combine
The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma invites the public to a live video chat with artist Kiki Smith at 4 p.m. Thursday....
-
Norman robot teams invade competition
Two Norman area robotic teams have excelled in respective competitions, with the Sooner Norman Advanced Robotics Collaboration taking top honors and a First Lego League team, the OzBots, advancing to compete at a World Festival in April....
-
Panel kills bill to end exemption
A bill to end Oklahoma’s sales tax exemption for newspapers and magazines has been defeated in a Senate committee....
- More Local news Headlines
-
Special zoning requested
