WHAT:                         Hundreds of high school students from Great Britain, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, China, Korea, Singapore, Taipei and around the United States will join together to compete in the inaugural VEX Robotics World Championship competition, playing the game “Bridge Battle”, developed by Innovation First, Inc., at California State University, Northridge on May 2-3, 2008.  The VEX World Championship competition will allow for students to compete with teams from all over the world and test their robotics engineering skills.  A finale celebration will close the championship with Captured! By Robots, a band featuring robots as performers.

Bridge Battle is played on a 12’x12’ square field that is divided into two sections – one “red” and one “blue” – with two teams on each side.  Each team controls its robots to      place tennis balls in respective red and blue colored sections of a bridge platform and   works closely together to accomplish this task.

WHERE:                       California State University, Northridge

                                    Matadome Gymnasium

                                    18111 Nordhoff St

                                    Northridge, CA 91330

                                    Directions: (Press parking is free in lot G4 with proof of credentials)

                                    From the 405 San Diego Freeway take the Nordoff Exit; make a Right onto Lindley Ave.; Follow the signs to Parking Lot G4.  Once you have parked, follow the signs until       you reach Redwood Hall, enter Redwood Hall and you will see The Matadome.                                                       

WHEN:                         Friday, May 2, 10:30 AM – 8:00 PM

            Saturday, May 3, 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM

WHY:                            The Vex World Championship gives students a hands-on tool to enhance their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and learn critical skills such as teamwork, collaboration, critical thinking, professionalism and problem-solving.