More than 100 high-school students from around Florida will compete in the USF Poly RoboBattle Jan. 24, 2009.

Held in the Lakeland Technology Building at USF Polytechnic, the event is a FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Tech Challenge regional qualifying competition. Student teams develop robots that can perform the tasks defined in the Challenge, and then compete with, and against, other teams in qualifying competitions and a state championship.

"The FIRST Tech Challenge lets high-school students experience the fun and excitement of complex problem solving in a positive and supportive team environment," says Dr. Naomi Boyer, USFP's director of teaching and learning technologies. "It also helps them discover the excitement and rewards of science, technology, and engineering."

Boyer also served as director of last year's inaugural Central Florida Gifted & Talented Institute at USFP, which included the Hot 2 Bot Applied Robotics Academy.

Competing in the USF Poly RoboBattle will be more than 125 team members and coaches from Lakeland, Winter Haven, Miami, Odessa, Palm Bay, Jensen Beach, Largo, Wilton Manors and New Smyrna Beach. USF Polytechnic VP & CEO Marshall Goodman will take part in the opening ceremony and the awards ceremony.

Schedule of events: