National Robotics League to hold National Championships in Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS — (BUSINESS WIRE) — May 2, 2011 — Sparks will fly and metal will crunch at the 2011 National Robotics Leagues (NRL) Championships to be held May 21-22 at the Vincennes University Aviation Technology Center at the Indianapolis International Airport. The National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA) created the NRL, a robot combat competition, to introduce a new generation of Americans to manufacturing.
NTMA founded the NRL to help change misperceptions about manufacturing and attract students to high-paying technical careers. The program partners teams of middle school, high school, and post-secondary school students with local NTMA manufacturers who work together to build machines designed to do battle and test ingenuity in a Plexiglas arena. The result is the creation of incredible robotic machines and fun and exciting events, all while building high tech skills and sparking the interest of students about careers in manufacturing.
"NTMA founded the NRL because we were tired of people talking about manufacturing in the past tense,” said Ron Overton, CEO of Mooresville, IN-based Overton Industries and a member of the NTMA Board of Directors. “The U.S. remains the world’s largest manufacturing economy, and the manufacturing sector is experiencing tremendous growth as the economy recovers. Yet, amazingly, NTMA member companies and other manufacturers can’t find enough young skilled workers to fill open positions despite offering wages and benefits that far exceed those in the service sector.”
“The NRL helps build a solid foundation of our next generation of needed skilled thinkers. It combines students' problem solving and technical skills while forging lasting ties with the best manufacturing partners in the country,” said NTMA COO Rob Akers. “It’s a win-win for the students, educators, parents, and our member companies. The students learn how to make things, apply strategic thinking into product development and are introduced to careers in manufacturing, while manufacturers build valuable relationships with schools resulting in ongoing internship programs and other partnerships.”
“As important,” said Akers, “the competition is just plain fun. The action packed events test students’ ingenuity. It’s mayhem in the ring when two metallic gladiators go up against each other to see who has designed the most robust and creative 15 lb robot and who has developed the right mixture of mobility and weaponry.”
The Indianapolis event will feature student teams who have competed in competitions held across the U.S. by an NRL sanctioned program. Preliminary rounds and the quarterfinals will be held on Saturday, May 21 from 11am to 6pm with the semi-finals and finals held on Sunday, May 22 from 9am to noon.
Media can register for the event by contacting Caitlin Andrews, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP at (202) 828.7637 ( Email Contact).
For additional information, visit the NRL website at www.gonrl.org.
NTMA is the national association representing the precision custom manufacturing industry, which employs more than 440,000 skilled workers in the United States. Its mission is to help members of the U.S. precision custom manufacturing industry achieve business success in a global economy through advocacy, advice, networking, information, programs and services. Many NTMA members are privately owned small businesses, yet the industry generates sales in excess of $40 billion a year. NTMA’s nearly 1,300 member companies design and manufacture special tools, dies, jigs, fixtures, gages, special machines and precision-machined parts. Some firms specialize in experimental research and development work.
The Aviation Technology Center at the Indianapolis International Airport is a partnership between Vincennes University and Purdue University. We offer training and degreed programs in Aviation Maintenance, Aviation Flight, Air Traffic Control and Airport Management.
Contact:
Bracewell & Giuliani LLP
Caitlin Andrews, 202-828-7637
Email Contact