Team Beta is one of 60 teams preparing for the March 26-28 event in Hartford and among 1,680 teams preparing for one of the 41 regional events planned in March.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics seeks to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders by engaging students in mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills.

FIRST, founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway Human Transporter, is comprised of more than 1,680 teams and 42,000 students from around the world who compete in the 41 regional events, preparatory to the FIRST Championships, held annually in Atlanta, Ga.

The teams each year have six weeks to build a robot that meets the yearly FIRST challenge

This year, teams must build a robot under 120 pounds, at most 28 x 38 inches and 60 inches tall, that can shoot game pieces called "moon rocks" (balls made up of interlocking plastic rings) into the trailers pulled by the opposite alliance. Each alliance is made up of three teams.

The robots must move around on a floor surface called regolith which simulates the 1/6 gravity of the surface of the moon.

The entire match is two minutes, 15 seconds long. During the first 15 seconds, the robot runs in autonomous mode, strictly on programming inserted into the robot by the programming team, while human players, called "payload specialists," try to shoot "moon rocks" into the opposing alliance's trailer.

In the remaining two minutes, teams, which are made up of one human player, two drivers and a coach, control the robot, working together as an alliance to score as many points as possible.

Nonnewaug's Team Beta was founded in 2008 by physics teacher Michael Murphy and engineer Hogan Eng.

The team, sponsored by ebm-papst and United Technologies Corporation, is made up of 14 students, 10 engineering mentors and many family members who help out when needed.

The team is composed of students from every high school grade in the towns of Woodbury, Bethlehem, Oxford, Prospect and Watertown

Team Beta has already attended a scrimmage, the Suffield Shakedown, hosted at Suffield High School's Aces High team.

This is a pre-ship event that allowed team members to see which adjustments needed to be made to their robot.

"The Shakedown was a great way to see what the competition was up to before the regional," said Bill Vornkahl, Team Beta president. "We didn't make finals, but it was a good experience as a rookie team.

"We were able to get our name out to the FIRST community and work with the other teams that were there. I can't wait until the Hartford Regional."

Zach Jasensky, Team Beta's lead programmer, noted that, "FIRST gives students a real-world experience with state-of-the-art robotics technology and teaches us how we can manipulate it to accomplish tasks that can better the day of tomorrow."

Those seeking additional information about the team or the competition may call Bill Vornkahl at 860-921-6199.