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The FRC is an annual robot design competition organized by FIRST, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering a greater understanding and appreciation of science and technology. Designed to inspire young people to innovate, the FRC challenges teams of students to develop a robot in six-weeks using a standard kit of parts and a common set of rules. The competition attracts thousands of students and is televised by stations around the world.

This year Altium is sponsoring the Australian FRC team as well as providing all 1,800 FRC teams with a 12-month licence of its electronics design software, Altium Designer. This gives young engineers real-life experience with the same electronics design tool used by organisations that include NASA, Cessna, Cochlear and the Volkswagen Group of America.

Altium’s extended support also sees engineers from Altium’s research and development team mentor the students.

“The FIRST Robotics Competition provides a wonderful opportunity for young engineering minds to experience science and technology in a fun and competitive environment,” said Matt Schwaiger, Senior Vice President of Global Customer Success. “We are proud to be fostering the talents of these students and providing them with all the tools and support they need to excel in the FIRST Robotics Competition.”

The FRC Championship will be held April 15-17, 2010 in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.

Australia doesn't produce enough of its own engineers and we can't afford to wait until kids are at HSC level before we start trying to get them interested, said Australian team coordinator, Associate Professor Mike Heimlich.

This program is designed to get kids excited about engineering, science and technology by giving them the opportunity to see what a fun and creative process working in this field can be.