AUTOMOTIVE

"Autodesk has been with us since the beginning and continues to encourage students to learn about math, science and engineering, as well as inspire the inventors and engineers of tomorrow," said Dean Kamen, inventor, entrepreneur and founder of FIRST. "Partnering with mentors, developing relationships and working as a team to achieve a common goal are elements for success both in engineering and life. We owe it to our kids and our future to show them how rewarding engineering can be -- before they start college." FIRST was founded by Dean Kamen in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math. This year's challenge theme, "Aim High" tests the students' and their robots' ability to fire foam balls through hoops, plow them into floor goals and program a robotic vision system to navigate the robot. Since 1992, Autodesk has been working with FIRST Robotics Competition to provide students the opportunity to learn about the worlds of engineering and visualization and has contributed approximately $72 million in software for team use. This year nearly 30,000 high school students are pushing the boundaries of innovation in engineering and 3D design visualization with support from Autodesk. This week, Autodesk will help host and assist 340 robotics teams and 8,500 students as they gather in Atlanta's Georgia Dome for the 2006 FIRST Championship. This number is astounding when compared to the 1992 FIRST championship where only 28 teams gathered in a New Hampshire high school gym. Teams earned their invitations to the championship by excelling in competitive play, sportsmanship and various awards -- including two Autodesk-sponsored design contests. Every year, Autodesk's involvement starts long before the Championship, making software available to students for robot design, engineering and animation; demonstrating the company's commitment to helping the students of today become the engineers of tomorrow. According to Robert "Buzz" Kross, vice president of Autodesk's Manufacturing Solutions Division, "We're proud to provide Autodesk software and online resources that enable more than 75 percent of FIRST Robotics Competition teams to fully realize the capabilities of Autodesk Inventor and 3ds Max software. As the leader in 3D, we are excited about building passion and interest for math and science in these FIRST student participants."