Gates Corporation Inspires Next Generation of Innovators as Diamond Supplier of the FIRST® Robotics Competition
February 26, 2010 - Denver, CO - Gates Corporation announced today that it has joined forces with FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a not-for-profit organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen, to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology, as a Diamond Supplier of the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC®).
Diamond is the second-highest supplier level for the FIRST Robotics Competition, designating a contribution between $200,000 and $500,000. The Power Transmission unit of Gates Corporation invited teams to select belt drives as part of the 2010 FRC Kit of Parts which was distributed to more than 1,800 teams of high-school students on January 9, 2010.
"Gates Corporation's participation as a Diamond Supplier furthers our goal to inspire energy and enthusiasm for science and technology," said FIRST president, Paul R. Gudonis. "It clearly demonstrates their local and national commitment to play a leadership role in STEM education and workforce development by helping students develop the technology and life skills that will help them succeed in their future careers."
By providing components for the competition, FIRST suppliers are putting the latest technology in the hands of students, giving them the opportunity to apply the same tools used by professional scientists and engineers and ultimately helping them learn real-world skills they will carry into the workplace.
Since 1992, FIRST has brought the excitement of a sporting event to science and technology via robotics competitions. On January 9, the organization unveiled the annual engineering challenge to teams, who also received a Kit of Parts made up of 577 items including motors, batteries, a control system, a PC, and a mix of automation components - but no instructions. Working with mentors, students now have just six weeks to design, build, program, and test their robots in preparation for regional events that measure the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration, and the determination of students.
In the 2010 FRC "Breakaway" robotics game, two alliances of three teams will compete on a 27-by-54-foot field with bumps, attempting to earn points by collecting soccer balls in goals. Additional bonus points will be earned for each robot suspended in air and not touching the field at the end of the match.
More than 45,000 students from 12 countries will design and build robots to compete in regional events with winners advancing to the FIRST Championship in Atlanta, Georgia, April 15-17, 2010. Participating students are eligible to apply for nearly $12 million in scholarships offered by leading universities, colleges, and companies, including Gates Corporation.
About FIRST®
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from three out of every five Fortune 500 companies and nearly $12 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC® ) and FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC® ) for high-school students, FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL® ) for 9 to 14-year-olds, (9 to 16-year-olds outside the U.S. and Canada) and Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLL) for 6 to 9-year-olds. Gracious Professionalism(TM) is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.
About Gates Corporation
Gates Corporation is one of the world's leading manufacturers of industrial and automotive products, systems and components with operations in 33 countries. Gates maintains sales and marketing operations in every major industrial and automotive market, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Gulf Region. Gates is part of the Industrial & Automotive group of Tomkins plc, a global engineering group listed on both the London (TOMK) and New York (TKS) stock exchanges, and with revenue of $5.5 billion in 2008. Tomkins plc has over 33,000 employees worldwide and enjoys strong market positions and technical leadership across all of its business activities and owns some of the best-known brands in their respective markets. For more information, visit www.gates.com or email info@gates.com.
