Bringing together over 33 students from 95 countries every year, FIRST Robotics Competition, one of the largest robotics competitions in the world, started its first event in Europe in Izmir. 38 teams from Turkey, Poland and Kazakhstan left behind a day full of enthusiasm and excitement.
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), organized by the global robotics community FIRST Foundation, which prepares young people for the future, to prepare high school students for professional life, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç SoyerIt is held for the first time in Izmir in line with the goal of creating opportunities for the development of young people. Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, İZELMAN A.Ş. FRC İzmir Regional Races, organized by the Fikret Yüksel Foundation in the strategic partnership of İZFAŞ and İZFAŞ, will continue until Sunday, March 6th. The teams that compete by designing their robots within the framework of common rules also learn the product marketing processes by introducing the brands they have created to their communities. The finalist teams will qualify for the international championship.
Message from Disney and Boeing!
The Izmir Regional Races, the first event of 2022 in Europe, attracted great interest. Excited to have a face-to-face tournament with the easing of the pandemic, the students took their places for the opening ceremony in the early hours of the morning. Before the opening speeches, two important messages came to young people from Hollywood and Seattle, USA. The first message was delivered from the Walt Disney Company, the world's largest media company, from Universal Studios in Hollywood. Hayden Christensen, known for the character of Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) in the world-famous Star Wars movie, and Ming-Na Wen and Kelly Marie Tran, the actors of the movie, addressed the youth for the FRC 2022 season and said: “The power of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Thanks to this, today's students can face these challenges and create futures in which they can imagine themselves and their society. That's why we support young people with our 'power for change' campaign supported by Star Wars. We are excited to show how teams can use their knowledge and creativity to build the future. We look forward to hearing your stories of hope and innovation.”
“You are the generation that will carry us forward”
The theme of FRC 2022 has been determined this year as Rapid React by the international aerospace company Boeing. Teams have come together to reimagine the future of safe, high-speed travel and deliveries to advance the next evolution of transportation around the world and beyond. Naveed Hussain, chief technology officer of the Boeing Company, who is a FIRST volunteer and a believer in the mission, said:
“You are the architects of tomorrow's inventions. We came together this weekend to use your creativity, talent, intelligence and energy. At Boeing, working to shape space transportation, we know that the capabilities you develop today will help you build a better tomorrow. You are the generation that will carry us forward. Thanks to the power of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, you can overcome the challenges we face and create the future you dream of for yourself and your society.”
“You are our friends who will build today's tomorrow”
Stating that they provide robotics education and STEM education (science-technology-entertainment-mathematics) to children aged 4-6, İZELMAN Chairman of the Board Prof. Dr. Adnan Akyarlı said: “This is a turning point for İzmir. Because it was brought to Izmir. With the vision of our Tunç President, a door has been opened that will carry İzmir to the future. If you think about the multiplier from yesterday to today, you can imagine the horizons from today to tomorrow. You are entering a process with a very open front. It is such a process that you believe that something you think about will definitely happen. We are together to think freely, think creatively, and make it a reality as a team. You are our friends who will build today's tomorrow.”
Fikret Yüksel Foundation President Alex Francis Burchard and Turkey Representative Ayşe Selçok Kaya talked about FIRST values. While Ayşe Selçuk Kaya talked about the importance of gains rather than gains, Alex Francis Burchard underlined that FRC is an experience that covers everyone, regardless of their background, gender, religion, language, race or any other distinction.
What happens during the competition?
This year, FIRST teams address global challenges related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, which focuses on building resilient infrastructure, supporting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation. From shipping packages in rural and urban areas to disaster relief delivery to high-tech air freight, teams are re-imagining faster, reliable, inclusive and sustainable transportation innovations that connect and grow communities and economies around the world.
The FRC program, organized in this context, aims to provide students with a real engineering experience, while aiming to bring together children who want to specialize in different fields and to continue working together in a limited time. During the competition, each team is evaluated as a company. Teams include students working in different fields. During the preparation process, the teams find supporters for the brands they design, prepare a website and advertise the team. Team jerseys, mascots and badges prepared for promotion are displayed in the pit area and shared with other teams.
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