CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
17 March 2011
Company News
PTC® Continues Collaboration with FIRST® to Launch the FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®) Robotics Competition in China
PTC announced that it will work closely with FIRST ® to pilot a FIRST ® Tech Challenge (FTC® ) competition in 2011 to be held in Shanghai, April 23, at the Shanghai American School, Pudong campus.In the 2011 pilot year, PTC will mentor up to eight FTC teams from the top international schools in Shanghai and run the pilot event in collaboration with Semia, the logistics partner in China. In calendar year 2012, Chinese schools will then compete and cooperate side by side with the international schools for the next competition year and beyond, as FTC spreads to schools throughout China.
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded by inventor Dean Kamen in 1989 to "transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders."
Reaching more than 250,000 students worldwide annually, FIRST has designed accessible, innovative, mentor-based programs that give students the opportunity to apply science and technology concepts learned in the classroom to ‘real-world' engineering problems. Students work on open-ended challenges and create their own solutions, while developing teamwork, presentation and business skills.
Liu Tong Long, PTC Sales Senior Vice President for North Rim China and Hong Kong, recognizes the critical importance of this program. "Companies worldwide support FIRST robotics because they believe this is a ‘real-world' engineering challenge where students engage with engineering and business mentors who work with students from around the world," he noted. "This competition involves exactly the type of skills, experience and innovative thinking that companies must have to remain competitive in a global world."
As a Crown Supplier to the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®), one of four programs operated by FIRST for students K-12, and the official CAD and Collaboration Sponsor to the FIRST Tech Challenge for the past three years, PTC provides its complete suite of product design software free to all teams.
James Heppelmann, PTC President and CEO, and a member of the FIRST National Executive Advisory Board, believes that, "PTC is bullish about FIRST and what it represents for our collective future. The way the students work together to pool their resources and skills and help each and every team compete to their best ability is inspiring. FIRST is an exemplary program in that it creates shared value for the students and for PTC."
This year, team software donations from PTC included "CreoTM Elements/ProTM engineering software, Mathcad® mathematical calculations software, Windchill® collaboration and data management software, and CreoTM Elements/View visual collaboration software to help participating teams design faster and better.
In addition to a software donation, PTC provides training on all its software through eLearning solutions and hands-on workshops. PTC employees volunteer their time to mentor teams using industry-best practices. PTC also is working closely with other FIRST Affiliate Partners worldwide to bring pilot FTC programs to India, Asia and Europe.
"We are pleased to partner with PTC to launch FIRST Tech Challenge in China," said Ken Johnson, Director, FIRST Tech Challenge. "PTC has a successful track record of bringing together the key ingredients of implementing a successful FTC international launch. This includes world-class customers, universities, schools and PTC employees to volunteer and manage a pilot and then a roll-out in China."
This year's FTC game, GET OVER IT!TM, is a sports-type competition involving rolling goals, mountain-like obstacles, balancing and sensors. In addition to scoring points, winners must demonstrate critical thinking, strategy, and oral and written communication skills, as well as the ability to work as part of a community. Top teams from around the world will be selected to compete in the FTC World Championship in St. Louis, Mo., April 27-30, 2011.
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