Pasadena Unified Students Get ‘Fast and Furious’ at the Robo Rally Tuesday

More than 100 teams from middle schools across the Pasadena Unified School District will be showcasing their robotics skills at this year’s Robo Rally 2016: Fast and Furious, the 7th Annual Middle School Robotics Competition sponsored by the Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF).

The competition will be held Tuesday, May 24, at the Pasadena High School Gymnasium at 2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. in Pasadena.

The teams will be building robotics race cars and program them to get to the garage on the other side of town as fast as possible. Adding to the programming complexity, vehicles may be challenged to a “game of chicken” on a narrow road before reaching the garage.

Robotics classes in PUSD middle schools are supported by the Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF).Classes are taught by PUSD math or science teachers that go through special robotics training supported by the PEF.

Robo Rally 2016: Fast and Furious is created and produced by PEF STEM.

On Tuesday, the program opens at 9:15 a.m. with Welcome, Instructions, and Introductions. The competition officially starts at 9:30 a.m. At 11:30 a.m., an Awards Ceremony will be held. Lunch will be at 11:50 a.m.

PEF says the last heat in the competition could start anytime after 10:45 a.m., depending on the competition’s timing.

To learn more about the Robo Rally, visit www.pasedfoundation.org/programs/robotics.