Bombardier Debuts Robotics Competition in Quebec

Marking the 25th anniversary of its debut into the aerospace sector, Bombardier recently flagged off the Quebec chapter of its FIRST International Robotics Competition.

More than 450 people were led on a guided tour of the facilities and hangars that housed the CSeries aircraft. High school students from about 12 schools across the state received kits that held the parts, which would help them construct a robot weighing around 120 pounds. Engineers and mentors will monitor and guide them as they create a robot that fits their imagination. They will have about six weeks in which to build their robots. The competitions will be held at various centers across North America. The competition in Quebec will take place in Toronto by the end of March this year.

According to Laurent Beaudoin, chairman of Bombardier , the competition was started in an endeavor to get students interested in robotics and prevent many of them from dropping out of school. Many institutions all based in Quebec joined to help the students.

The competition will have more than 2000 teams belonging to eight countries coming together. It inspires young adults to tale up science and technology by engaging them in events that foster their inventive skills and their self esteem, communication and leadership skills.