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FIRST Robotics Regional Competition and Awards

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:00:00 GMT

FIRST Robotics Regional Competition and Awards
Start Date: 1-Apr-10 8:00 AM
End Time: 3-Apr-10 6:00 PM
Location: George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, TX 77010
Event Details:

FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is a unique varsity sport of the mind designed to help high-school-aged young people discover how interesting and rewarding the life of engineers and researchers can be.

The FIRST Robotics Competition challenges teams of young people and their mentors to solve a common problem in a six-week timeframe using a standard "kit of parts" and a common set of rules. Teams build robots from the parts and enter them in competitions designed by Dean Kamen, Dr. Woodie Flowers, and a committee of engineers and other professionals.

FIRST redefines winning for these students because they are rewarded for excellence in design, demonstrated team spirit, gracious professionalism and maturity, and the ability to overcome obstacles. Scoring the most points is a secondary goal. Winning means building partnerships that last.

Breakaway is the 2010 game for the FIRST Breakaway is the game for the 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition, announced on January 9, 2010. Robots direct soccer balls into goals, overcoming "bumps" in the field, and suspend themselves on towers.

Robots play Breakaway on a 27 by 54-foot rectangular field known as the field. The field is bordered by a set of guardrails and alliance walls. There are two "bumps" in the field that divides it into three zones. During the game matches, the robots are controlled from alliance stations located outside the ends of the field. These rectangular zones consist of three team player stations that provide connectivity between the controls used by the robot operators and the arena. Goals are located at the corners of the field, and extend behind the alliance wall and adjacent to the player stations. After balls are scored, human players may pick up the balls and pass them to the center of the alliance station to be placed on the ball return rack and reenter play at midfield; teams are penalized if balls are not reentered beyond a set time limit.

George R. Brown Convention Center

1001 Avenida de las Americas

Houston, TX 77010

International Sustainable World (Energy, Engineering & Environment) Project Olympiad

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:00:00 GMT

International Sustainable World (Energy, Engineering & Environment) Project Olympiad
Start Date: 14-Apr-10 8:00 AM
End Time: 19-Apr-10 9:00 PM
Location: George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, TX 77010
Event Details:

I-SWEEEP, the International Sustainable World (Energy, Engineering, and Environment) Project Olympiad, is a groundbreaking science fair open to middle and high school students. It is the largest science fair event of its kind world-wide.

I-SWEEEP is organized by the Cosmos Foundation, a non-profit educational organization in Houston with a mission to establish college preparatory K-12 schools focusing on math, science, engineering, and computer technologies in an effort to provide a world-class education to public. Cosmos Foundation currently operates 19 high performing public STEM schools in Texas.

Cosmos Foundation organizes this prestigious event with the support of K-12 public school systems, leaders of industry, and higher education institutions. I-SWEEEP works with local, national, and international science fair organizations to bring together the top-ranking participants and qualifying projects from these competitions.

Houston will again be home to the third I-SWEEEP in April 14-19, 2010 in George R. Brown Convention Center.

George R. Brown Convention Center

1001 Avenida De Las Americas

Houston, TX 77010

EcoBot Challenge

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 13:00:00 GMT

EcoBot Challenge
Start Date: 17-Apr-10 8:00 AM
End Time: 17-Apr-10 6:00 PM
Location: Reliant Center, Houston, TX 77054
Event Details:

The EcoBot Challenge gives students the option of entering two different competitions. They can build physical robots that perform specific environmental tasks. They can develop ideas for robots that perform other environmental tasks and then create a PowerPoint presentation that describes how they would market their inventions.

Both contests are open and free to all Texas students in grades 5-8.

Schedule for Robotic Competition

8 AM Registration Opens

9 AM Welcoming Remarks

9:30 AM - Noon Preliminary Rounds

12 - 1 PM Lunch*

1 - 3 PM Conclude Preliminary Rounds

3 - 5 PM Finals

5 - 6 PM Awards

*Lunch will be provided by our corporate sponsors.

After preliminary rounds, the six teen teams with the highest scores in each division will move to the finals. We will present awards to:

The top 16 teams in each division
The top 4 teams overall
Teams exhibiting outstanding creativity, teamwork, etc.

We will divide the Challenge into four main areas: the competition room for robots, the marketing competition rooms, the practice area, the exhibit hall/eating area.

In the exhibit area, students and families may interact with sponsors and partner organizations between rounds of the competition. The exhibits will give students insights to career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and the environment

Reliant Center

One Rliant Park

Houston, TX 77054

2010 Intelligent Transportation Society of America Annual Meeting

Mon, 03 May 2010 13:00:00 GMT

2010 Intelligent Transportation Society of America Annual Meeting
Start Date: 3-May-10 8:00 AM
End Time: 5-May-10 5:30 PM
Location: George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, TX 77010
Speaker: Sam Palmisano

Event Details:

ITS America’s 20th Annual Meeting & Exposition will provide transportation professionals and policymakers the necessary tools and strategies they need to create communities that are safer, cleaner, more livable and less congested. As national, state and local leaders are working to find innovative solutions to our nation’s transportation challenges in a fiscally-constrained environment, you can not afford to miss this opportunity to learn more about cost-effective technology solutions for reducing traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, and traffic accidents, financing infrastructure projects, collecting performance measurement data, and improving system management.

This year’s theme is “Connecting Communities through Smart Transportation Solutions.” We will also provide you with important policy insight from government officials and planning insights from leading transportation practioners.

For program, schedule, and hotel, and registration details, see the conference web site at http://www.itsa.org/annualmeeting/c80/News_and_Events/Calendar/Annual_Meeting_and_Exposition.html.

To kick off the conference, the Texas Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security will convene at the George R. Brown Convention Center to take testimony and discuss issues related to transportation and homeland security.

The venue will host several ancillary meetings held by such organizations as the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the Regional Safety Council to provide a window on the collaborative work taking place in the Houston region.

Sam Palmisano, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of IBM, will close out the conference by sharing his vision for creating a smarter transportation network through technology innovations.

Exposition and networking events will be ideal for building your business development network and the conference program and technical tours will provide you with a fresh look at the emerging projects, products, and services that are changing surface transportation.

The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) is the oldest and largest national association representing the intelligent transportation systems industry, bringing together thousands of professionals in transportation, technology, research, business and academia to find and share solutions to America’s infrastructure challenges. Members include private corporations, public agencies, and academic institutions involved in the research, development and design of Intelligent Transportation Systems technologies that enhance safety, increase mobility and sustain the environment.

George R. Brown Convention Center

1001 Avenida de las Americas

Houston, TX 77010

CSTEM Challenge National Competition

Sat, 08 May 2010 13:30:00 GMT

CSTEM Challenge National Competition
Start Date: 8-May-10 8:30 AM
End Time: 8-May-10 5:30 PM
Location: George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, TX 77010
Event Details:

The National CSTEM Challenge is designed to connect three levels (elementary, middle, and high) of basic education providing feeder pattern schools with a project that allows them to work collaboratively on problem-solving. The CSTEM Challenge integrates communication, science, technology, engineering, mathematics (CSTEM), social studies and art through an essential theme, Everyone is an Artist and an Engineer. Further, this project provides students with opportunities to see how their work affects all aspects of life, including endangered wildlife, and teaching the students about environmental stewardship.

The CSTEM feeder pattern model assist schools in developing a pipeline of students highly motivated and prepared for higher level learning in related areas by:

Increasing students interest in math and science
Building capacity and sustaining hands-on, project-based, problem-based learning through the continued implementation of CSTEM pedagogy
Engaging minority, at-risk, socio-economically disadvantaged, gifted and talented, and underrepresented students in CSTEM projects that improves their academic performance and develops them socially and emotionally, a formula that assist in reducing the achievement gap
Developing team building skills and providing mentoring opportunities
Providing a platform for teachers to put into practice project-based learning that allow students to experience learning through real-life application and competition
Providing an opportunity for teachers and students to learn the global impact of their work
Providing tools and resources that enrich curriculum by adding the WOW factor, magic, mystery, purpose, relevance, and higher level thinking to classrooms
Developing a network within feeder pattern schools that creates stronger learning communities of high achieving students prepared for post-secondary education and the workforce in related STEM fields.

The 2010 CSTEM Challenge Categories:

CSTEMbreak (social media)
CSTEMgreen Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
Robotics
Mural
Sculpture
Creative Writing

George R. Brown Convention Center

1001 Avenida De Las Americas

Houston, TX 77010

Earth Science Week

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 13:30:00 GMT

Earth Science Week
Start Date: 10-Oct-10 8:30 AM
End Time: 16-Oct-10 5:30 PM
Location: TBD
Event Details:

Since October 1998, the American Geological Institute (AGI) has organized this national and international event to help the public gain a better understanding and appreciation for the Earth Sciences and to encourage stewardship of the Earth. This year's Earth Science Week will celebrate the theme "Exploring Energy." “Exploring Energy,” the theme of Earth Science Week 2010, will engage young people and the public in learning about Earth's energy reources. AGI hosts Earth Science Week in cooperation with sponsors as a service to the public and the geoscience community. Each year, local groups, educators, and interested individuals organize celebratory events. Earth Science Week offers opportunities to discover the Earth sciences and engage in responsible stewardship of the Earth. The program is supported by the U.S. Geological Survey, NASA, the National Park Service, the AAPG Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, ExxonMobil, ESRI, and other geoscience groups.

TBD