Altair (Nasdaq: ALTR), a prominent name in computational intelligence, is excited to kick off the 2024-2025 Global Student Contest. This competition invites students to demonstrate their engineering and design skills for an opportunity to earn recognition and cash rewards. With nearly $30,000 in prizes available, the contest aims to highlight student innovations using Altair software, particularly within robotics and mechatronics.
“This year’s contest emphasizes robotics, reflecting Altair’s ongoing partnership with FIRST,” stated Jim Ryan, Vice President of Global Academic Programs at Altair. “Our extensive technology offerings cater to students at all levels, equipping them to enhance their portfolios, develop their skills, and prepare for their future careers.”
Running from October 2024 to June 2025, students are encouraged to optimize a robotics application of their choice. This could encompass FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC) robots, manufacturing robots, robotic arms, battle bots, or any other robotic system. Participants can focus on various optimization areas, including electrical, mechanical, structural, lightweighting, and functional aspects, such as improving performance through data analysis.
While students can utilize any tools from the Altair® HyperWorks® and Altair® RapidMiner® platforms, they are encouraged to engage with at least one of its’s user-friendly optimization tools: Altair® Inspire™, Altair® AI Studio, or Altair® PSIM™. Each participant is required to submit a video outlining their project’s methodology and results.
Throughout the contest, students will have quarterly opportunities to win $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second, and $500 for third. Additionally, the company will sponsor three FIRST teams with $5,000 each, awarded based on the submission of brief testimonial videos detailing how its tools have benefited them. The contest will also introduce three Student Ambassadorships, allowing recipients to earn up to $1,000 for their ambassadorial contributions.
“We are thrilled to see it support a global contest that encourages students to apply their skills in robotics,” remarked Scott Legasse, Senior Manager for Corporate Relations at FIRST. “It’s commitment to preparing students for real-world challenges is commendable.”
Founded in 1989, FIRST is a non-profit organization dedicated to preparing young individuals for the future through inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18. The FIRST Robotics Competition, launched in 1992, operates in over 28 countries and has engaged more than 3.2 million students worldwide.
As a leader in computational intelligence, Altair provides advanced software and cloud solutions in simulation, high-performance computing (HPC), data analytics, and artificial intelligence, empowering organizations across various sectors to make smarter decisions while fostering a more sustainable future.
