FIRST STEAMWORKS is Set to Take Flight at Hofstra University during the 2017 SBPLI Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics Competition

Event Presented by School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. at the School’s David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex March 31 and April 1

After a six-week build season, which culminated on Tuesday, February 21, area students will soon have an opportunity to compete at the 2017 SBPLI Long Island Regional FIRST® Robotics Competition, presented by School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. (SBPLI). Fifty-five teams, from across Long Island and New York, and also Brazil, will head to Hofstra University’s David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex on Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1 to participate in this year’s challenge, dubbed FIRST STEAMWORKSSM.

 

Now in its 18th season, the SBPLI Long Island Regional features teams of high school-aged students from across Long Island, the New York metropolitan area and even around the world competing in a cooperative tournament-style robotics competition. Guided by their mentors, students rely on their skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to compete for honors and recognition that reward design excellence, competitive play and sportsmanship. This high-energy event further emphasizes the importance of high-impact partnerships between students, universities, businesses and communities.

 

Described by FIRST as a competition that “invites two adventurers’ clubs, in an era where steam power reigns, to prepare their airships for a long-distance race,” FIRST STEAMWORKS is every part the ode to a time gone by. During the competition, two 3-team alliances will take to the playing field to complete a variety of tasks in order to score points and win the round, with the hopes of eventually advancing to eliminations and finals. The finishing move of the competition is for the robots to climb a rope, the completion of which is denoted by a red-light indicator, as they seemingly “take flight” on the field.

 

As with all FIRST Robotics Competitions, FIRST STEAMWORKS will begin with a 15-second autonomous period, during which robots may only operate on pre-programmed instructions to complete one of three tasks and/or cross the baseline. Throughout the remaining two minutes and 15 seconds, students will control the team robots to build steam pressure, start rotors and prepare for flight. Detailed instructions for each of these tasks are available in the official FIRST STEAMWORKS Overview and a visual description can be found in this animated video from FIRST.

 

“The SBPLI Long Island Regional is an amazing way for students from across Long Island, throughout New York and even from around the globe to showcase their talents in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields,” says Debra Winter, Dave Johnson and Thom Rosati, Co-Directors, FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST Long Island. “This year’s FIRST Robotics Competition game looks especially challenging and we’re very excited to see what the students have come up with to complete each of the obstacles.”

 

“Each of SBPLI’s associated FIRST robotics programs, from FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. to the FIRST Robotics Competition, provide students with endless educational and career opportunities,” says Bertram Dittmar, Executive Director, SBPLI/FIRST Long Island. “The challenges afforded through each of the tournaments affords children from age six to 18 with the chance to develop the professional skills necessary to enrich their lives.”

 

The list of teams participating in the 2017 SBPLI Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics Competition on Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1 is as follows:

 

Team No.

Team Name

School/Organization

Hometown

28

Pierson Whalers

Pierson Middle/High School

Sag Harbor, NY

263

Sachem Aftershock

Sachem High School – North & East

Lake Ronkonkoma, NY

271

Mechanical Marauders

Bay Shore Senior High School

Bay Shore, NY

287

Floyd

William Floyd High School

Mastic Beach, NY

329

Mohawks

Patchogue-Medford High School

Medford, NY

352

The Green Machine

Carle Place Middle Senior High School

Carle Place, NY

353

POBots

Plainview-Old Bethpage/JFK High School

Plainview, NY

358

Robotic Eagles

Hauppauge High School

Hauppauge, NY

496

Royals

Earl L. Vandermeulen High School

Port Jefferson, NY

514

Miller Place Robotics

Miller Place High School

Miller Place, NY

527

Red Dragons

Plainedge Senior High School

Massapequa, NY

533

The PSIcotics

Lindenhurst Senior High School

Lindenhurst, NY

545

ROBO-DAWGS

Island Trees High School

Levittown, NY

564

Longwood Robotics

Longwood High School

Middle Island, NY

569

Rambots

East Meadow Chamber/Kiwanis & Home School

Westbury, NY

601

BayBots

Hampton Bays Secondary School

Hampton Bays, NY

810

The Mechanical Bulls

Smithtown High School – East & West

Smithtown, NY

870

TEAM R.I.C.E.

Southold Junior-Senior High School

Southold, NY

871

Robotechs

West Islip Senior High School

West Islip, NY

884

Mechnical Mules

Malverne Senior High School

Malverne, NY

1156

Under Control

Marista Pio XII

Novo Hamburgo, Brazil

1468

Hicksville J-Birds

Hicksville High School

Hicksville, NY

1537

Robotic Knights

Lockeed Martin & Home School

Uniondale, NY

1546

Chaos, Inc.

Baldwin Senior High School

Baldwin, NY

1554

Oceanside Robotics

Oceanside Senior High School

Oceanside, NY

1601

QS1601

Aviation Career & Technical High School

Long Island City, NY

1635

TECHNOTICS

Newtown High School

Elmhurst, NY

1751

The Warriors

Comsewogue High School

Port Jefferson Station, NY

1796

RoboTigers

Queens Vocational & Technical High School

Long Island City, NY

1803

Vikings

Paul D. Schreiber Senior High School

Port Washington, NY

2027

Robotic Dragons

Westbury High School

Old Westbury, NY

2161

Robocats

Walt Whitman High School

Huntington Station, NY

2347

Metal Mercs

Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School

Copiague, NY

2487

Mechanical Animals

Sayville and Bayport-Blue Point High Schools

Sayville, NY

2601

Steel Hawks

Townsend Harris High School

Flushing, NY

2638

Rebels

Great Neck South High School

Great Neck, NY

2869

Regal Eagles

Bethpage Senior High School

Bethpage, NY

2872

CyberCats

Wheatley School

Old Westbury, NY

2875

CyberHawks

Cold Spring Harbor High School

Cold Spring Harbor, NY

3137

T-Birds

Connetquot High School

Bohemia, NY

3171

HURRICANES

Westhampton Beach Senior High School

Westhampton Beach, NY

3624

ThunderColts

Half Hollow Hills High School – East & West

Huntington Station, NY

3950

Robo Gym

North Shore Senior High School

Glen Head, NY

4006

CIBorgs

Central Islip Senior High School

Central Islip, NY

4122

Ossining O-Bots

Ossining High School

Ossining, NY

4458

Infernobotix

Center Moriches High School

Center Moriches, NY

4567

The Mechanized Mafia

Seaford Senior High School

Seaford, NY

5016

Huntington Robotics

Huntington High School

Huntington, NY

5099

Cyberian Tigers

Northport Senior High School

Northport, NY

5254

HYPE

Charles O. Dickerson High School

Trumansburg, NY

5659

Team Supreme

Bridgehampton School

Bridgehampton, NY

5736

Kingsmen

Kings Park High School

Kings Park, NY

6422*

GearHeadz

Tesla Science Center & Shoreham Family/Community

Rocky Point, NY

6423*

Ward Melville HS

Ward Melville Senior High School

East Setauket, NY

6746*

Mustangs

Our Lady of Mercy Academy

Syosset, NY

*Denotes a rookie team

 

SBPLI/FIRST Long Island is the title sponsor of the SBPLI Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics Competition. Captain of Innovation-level sponsors include Altice Connects, BAE Systems, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Farmingdale State College, FESTO Corporation, Hofstra University, National Grid, Northrop Grumman, PSEG Long Island, SCOPE Education Services, School Construction Consultants, Stony Brook University and the US Army. Friend of the Future-level sponsors include accessLinx, Inc.; Astoria Bank; Brookhaven NSA; IEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers); Ingerman Smith, LLP; LG Management, LLC; North Atlantic Industries; Northwell Health Systems; Signature Bank; Softeon; and the Stern Family.