High-School Students Work with Community and Corporate Sponsors to Build Robots with Autodesk Inventor 3D Software for Prestigious FIRST Robotics Competition

Teams combine power of Autodesk Inventor with Autodesk Streamline to Share Data Online

San Rafael, Calif., April 25, 2002--Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK), the world's leading design software and digital content company, today announced that students nationwide who are part of the 11th annual FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition are using Autodesk Inventor 3D mechanical design software and the Autodesk Streamline online collaboration service to design and build robots, as well as store and share their design information online. More than 405 users on 386 teams have signed up to use the Autodesk Streamline service with Autodesk design software, giving the students and their mentors the ability to share their Autodesk design files and work collaboratively on the project regardless of proximity or time zone. In addition to Autodesk Inventor software and the Autodesk Streamline service, students are also using Autodesk's AutoCAD and 3ds max software products to create and build competitive robots.

The FIRST Robotics Competition pairs high-school students with corporate and community sponsors to teach them how to solve engineering design problems in a fun and competitive way. Autodesk has been a major corporate sponsor of the FIRST Robotics event for 10 years, donating millions of dollars worth of software to the schools taking part in the regional and national competitions. Students compete in regional competitions held throughout March and April across the United States and in Canada with the goal of making it to the championship event, which draws more than 15,000 participants, fans, and spectators.

In addition to being a corporate sponsor, Autodesk hosts two contests for students using Autodesk Inventor and 3ds max software. Awards are presented to the winning teams on Saturday, April 27, at the FIRST Robotics Championship event held April 25-27 at Walt Disney World's Epcot in Orlando, Florida. The Autodesk Award for Visualization challenges teams to create a 30-second animation about their robot, their team, or the spirit of FIRST using 3ds max software. The Autodesk Inventor Award goes to the teams that best understand, document, and communicate the distinct phases of the design process from concept to completion using Autodesk Inventor software.

Teams Reap the Benefits of Autodesk Inventor Software's Ease of Use The Burning Magnetos, Team 342, which consists of participants from the Robert Bosch Corporation, Trident Technical College, Summerville High School, Fort Dorchester High School, and the Dorchester County Career Center in South Carolina, is just one of many teams that will compete for the Autodesk Inventor Award. Alan Kalameja, AutoCAD Training Center Manager from Trident Technical College, is the student mentor responsible for teaching the basics of Autodesk Inventor to the six high-school students on the design team.

"Autodesk Inventor is the obvious tool for this type of project because of its ease of use," said Kalameja. "Autodesk Inventor changed the rules that most AutoCAD users were used to. My high-school students were introduced to the basics of Autodesk Inventor and after two classes were already modeling a frame for the robot. Using Autodesk Inventor software, the students were able to build the entire robot, share the design with the team, and collect their feedback and comments, before beginning construction. By incorporating all of the team members' creative ideas during the conceptual stage, this saved a lot of time, money, and energy throughout the design process."

"Working with (Autodesk) Inventor has been amazing. I am fascinated that I am capable of creating an intricate three-dimensional model, starting only with a blank screen," said Jaime Knauf, a junior at Summerville High School in Summerville, South Carolina. "The program has taught me a different way of looking at the world around me, and I often catch myself visualizing how I might design an object on the computer. I have thoroughly enjoyed the great experience (Autodesk) Inventor has provided me in working as a member of the robotics team."

The Wildstang Team is made up of about 60 active members including students and teachers from Wheeling and Rolling Meadows High Schools and Motorola volunteers from Schaumburg and Arlington Heights in Illinois. Each member takes part in a different aspect of the robot creation. The Wildstang Team designed a super-powered, super-speed, four-wheel crab drive and tank drive robot for the Autodesk Inventor Award and to compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition.

"This software is so inspirational. My ideas go from my mind to the computer almost instantly. Autodesk Inventor software is so easy, anyone can become an inventor overnight," said Armando Gomez IV, a high-school student at Rolling Meadows High School in Illinois. "The tutorials were extremely helpful and provided me with all of the information I needed. I learned how to be productive with the program in a matter of days. I believe it took us about a week to complete the entire set of designs for the robot. It was very easy and fun."

"As a Computer Engineer I have not had the opportunity to work with many CAD tools to build robots. However, Autodesk Inventor made it extremely easy to learn the necessary skills in order to start working on the robot quickly," said Juan Contreras, software engineer at Motorola. "The online tutorials, particularly the One-Day Productivity Tutorial, made it extremely easy to become familiar with the software in a matter of minutes. All in all, Autodesk Inventor made the entire process of building the robot a great experience and lots of fun!"

About FIRST 

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people, their schools and their communities. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With the support of many of the world's most well-known companies, the non-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition for high school students and the FIRST LEGO(tm) League for children 9-14 years old. 

www.usfirst.org

About Autodesk 

Founded in 1982, Autodesk, Inc., is the world's leading design and digital media creation, management, and distribution company. The company serves a diverse portfolio of markets, including building design, geographic information systems, manufacturing, digital media, and wireless data services. By delivering tools that foster innovation and creativity, Autodesk helps customers throughout the value chain leverage digital design data to work better, faster, and smarter. 

www.autodesk.com

 

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