Two West Hawaii high school robotics teams are among a handful of Hawaii schools competing in the World Championship of Robotics this week in St. Louis.
Two West Hawaii high school robotics teams are among a handful of Hawaii schools competing in the World Championship of Robotics this week in St. Louis.
Robotics teams comprising students from Kealakehe and Kohala high schools on Thursday and Friday took part in the 2012 FIRST Championship conference. Robotics competitions kick off today, according to FIRST, an acronym of For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. FIRST is an organization that strives to promote science and technology among young people.
The conference hosted dozens of presentations on science, technology, engineering and robotics fields by former robotics team members, college and university representatives and professionals, according to FIRST. Today’s competitions include the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship, FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship and the FIRST LEGO League World Festival. Also featured is the Junior FIRST LEGO League World Festival Expo.
Kealakehe High School’s appearance in the international competition is its second in as many years, according to West Hawaii Today archives. Kohala High School qualified for the championship based upon its performance at other competitions. Unlike Kealakehe, Kohala did not have to take part in the 2012 FIRST in Hawaii Regional Robotics Competition held in March on Oahu to reach the championships.