The FTC=MASFUN team are a group of 6 students from Macarthur Anglican School in Sydney and six adults who have created a robot that can do a number of medial tasks, including picking up and moving small objects.
Having entered the robot in a number of local competitions and winning they are now taking on the world in the First Tech Challenge Robotics competition in St Louis, USA in April.
Before leaving for their date with destiny, the students and their parents visited the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) to demonstrate the capabilities of their robot and enjoy a tour of the nuclear research facilities hosted by CEO Dr Adi Paterson.
It was a chance for the team to thank ANSTO for their sponsorship support and to see how science and technology are used in a major organisation to advance Australia's research capabilities.
ANSTO has a range of research capabilities, facilities and expertise in nuclear science that are applied to a diverse range of areas; including understanding climate change and providing a number of pharmaceutical products and services that benefit the health of Australians and the international community.
The team's entry into the world championship in the United States has been funded by a number of local sponsors, including JAYCAR Electronics and their major sponsor - mining magnate Gina Rhinehart.
The world championships celebrates science and technology and aims to encourage students to aim to become leaders in these industries.
More than 2000 teams from over 58,000 schools will compete in a series of events for different age groups for a number of awards including university scholarships.
Published: 16/04/2012