Washington Heights Armory To Host Robotics Competition

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — The Washington Heights armory will host 51 of the city's brightest teams of high schoolers for a robotics competition in April, according to a press release.

The armory is hosting the FIRST NYC Robotics Competition for the second consecutive year starting April 6. High school students will be competing for a chance to compete in the competition's championships in Detroit and for up to $60 million in scholarship money, according to competition organizers.

"We are delighted to welcome FIRST NYC Robotics and the terrific teams of students who create the robots back to The Armory for the second year in a row," Armory Foundation Co-President Rita Finkel said in a statement. "This is a competition like no other and should not be missed."

The teams will be pitting their robots against each other in a competition that resembles an "8-bit video game," organizers said. The teams start building their robots six weeks before the competition and design them to complete the task at hand. This year, robots will be tasked with defeating some sort of video game "boss" at the center of the armory track.

The event is free to attend and open to the public.

"The Armory has been a fantastic venue for us,” Michael Zigman, CEO and President of NYC FIRST, said in a statement. "It’s conducive to having this kind of event and a welcoming venue. The competition field is snug in the middle of the track, with stands all around for spectators. I love the venue; it’s as good as it gets."

Check out some highlights from last year's competition:

Photo by Google Maps street view