Ladies and gentleman, start your robots.
NEWARK -- Ladies and gentleman, start your robots.
A "medieval"-themed robotics competition's 2016 season has attracted at least 65 high school robotics teams from across New Jersey this year.
"We call (robotics competitions) 'the sport of the mind,'" explained John Giardina, of Somerville.
Giardina is the competition chair for the N.J.-based nonprofit Mid-Atlantic Robotics, which implements the international FIRST Robotics Competition in the N.J. area.
"The main thrust is preparing (the kids) for life and preparing them for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)-related careers and/or pursuits," Giardina said.
Mid-Atlantic Robotics announced the rules for the 27th season of the 2016 FIRST Robotics Competition at three locations on Saturday: the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Montgomery High School in Skillman, and a high school in Pennsylvania.
Warren High School takes the lead at 2015 N.J. high school robotics competition
At the kick-offs, attending teams learned that by the first round of the competition in early March, their teams must create an up-to 5-foot-tall robot that can cross a field, bypass several obstacles, and throw boulders into a goal area, to reach a castle, Giardina said.
A video about this year's competition features engineers riding Segways in the forest to a castle. The "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"-inspired skit features the sound of clopping horse hoofs.
The "kickoff" is also an opportunity for future competitors to meet friends, hear the rules and pick up kits that include parts, organizers said.
In April, the mid-Atlantic championship will be held at Lehigh University, and the world championship will be held later in St. Louis, likely featuring participants from Brazil, Ireland and Canada, Giardina said.
Sixteen-year-old Somerville High School junior Thomas England, who was at NJIT on Saturday, said he is participating in the competition for the second year. England is on the driving and programming committees of his school's team, "The Gearheads."
The student, who wants to be a software engineer at Google or Microsoft one day, likened the competition to a fun game of "capture the flag" that teaches students about coding and engineering fields.
"It's really fun. You get to meet a lot of new people," he said. "You really need to work together to have success here, so it builds friendships."
The build season, however, will be tough: "(It) really is a grueling process," England noted; his team will meet after school every day and "for hours" on Saturdays.
Giardina, a computer engineer for Johnson and Johnson, runs England's robotics team. Somerville started one of N.J.'s first school robotics teams, in 1997, he said.
Giardina said he personally got into the competition in 2001, when there were about 50 N.J. teams.
At that time, his son participated. Now his son is a physics and robotics teacher in North Plainfield, and he is starting a robotics program that exposes children as young as preschool age to robotics, with the help of Legos, Giardina said.
If an N.J. student wants to get involved in this year's competition, they should join their school's team, the chair said.
Those interested in sponsoring a team -- the competition entrance fees alone can reach $10,000 -- or starting a school robotics club should visit www.firstinspires.org, he said.
"I believe any kids can do (robotics)... because you're working together and learning together," Giardina said. "If you know which end of screwdriver is the one that works, you've got more than enough qualification to join the team."
Watch the "Monty Python" competition promo video, below:
Laura Herzog may be reached at lherzog@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LauraHerzogL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.