Reminder: FIRST Robotics Tournament this Weekend

The NC Regional FIRST Robotics tournament is this weekend at Dorton Arena on the NC State Fairgrounds.  Check it out!

The tournament is a high school robotics tournament featuring competition between 44 teams from across the country and Brazil. Spectators are welcome from 9 am - 5 pm on April 8 and 9- no spectator admission fee. Sponsored by NASA, Cisco and Credit Suisse.

www.ncfirstrobotics.org

The Microcontroller Revolution

One of my all-time favorite writers Dan Rutter of Dan's Data published a great article about microcontrollers recently.  You should read it.  And everything else Dan writes.  Anyone that would write a serious response to my own bizarre questions is worth reading carefully.  Enjoy.

"...even as the repairability and hackability of common household devices has been falling, the accessibility of computerised control systems for home hobbyists has been going up. This has opened up whole new vistas for the part-time hardware hacker."

The 6 Most Badass Robots (Invented Before Electricity)

You might think that robots are strictly a 20th century invention, but you'd be sorely mistaken: At the same time that the human race thought stomach aches were just tiny, enchanted dwarfs casting hunger spells, a few brilliant souls (possibly aliens) were actually building full functional robots. So maybe they're not R2D2 caliber, but who are we to judge? They built friggin' robots before there was toilet paper!

Cracked.com

Robot Rumble at NC Museum of Life and Science

The North Carolina Museum of Life and Science is hosting a fun event called the Robot Rumble on Saturday, March 20 from: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Are you ready to rumble? It’s the battle of the bots! Watch Carolina Combat Robots battle it out in robot hockey. See Insight Robotics new autonomous Lotus race car, and learn about its thrilling venture with Team Stellar to create a robot to land on the moon. Check out SuperDroid Robots to see the latest tactical surveillance robots for SWAT, military and law enforcement. Plus, see the InTouch Health RP-7(r) doctor robot from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and discover how robots are changing how physicians interact with patients. Take part in a variety of hands-on activities, and so much more!
Cost: Most activities are free with Museum admission; pre-registration and additional fees may apply for workshops. Additional information is coming soon!