DALTON, Mass. — The 24th annual Berkshire Robotics Challenge, hosted and sponsored by the Berkshire Innovation Center, is scheduled for Saturday, March 15, at Wahconah Regional High School.  

 

The event is free and open to the public. This year's Challenge, "SUBMERGED," features a field of 27 teams with more than 250 students from all over Berkshire County, using programmable robots to complete a variety of missions.  The SUBMERGED theme shines a spotlight on the ocean, which is home to some of our planet's most complex ecosystems and encourages students to explore the layers of the ocean and bring what they learn to the surface.

 

Paul Dalton, Vice President of Autonomous Maritime Platforms at General Dynamics Mission Systems, will provide the keynote address starting at 8:55 AM.   The Robotics Challenge will be competed in three rounds between 9:30 AM and 12:00 PM, with the top eight point-scorers advancing to the Great Eight Playoff, scheduled to start at 12:35 PM. 

 

The awards ceremony is scheduled for 1:30 PM.  Awards will be given to teams in the following categories: Challenge Champion, First Runner Up, Sportsmanship Award, Team Spirit Award, Most Innovative Design, Best Programming, Best Research Project, Rookie Team of the Year, Comeback Kids, and Against All Odds.