Microchip announced its sponsorship of the 2011 VEX Robotics World Championship, scheduled for April 14-16 in Orlando, Fla. In addition to the 2011 VEX Robotics World Championship, Microchip will also sponsor two regional VEX Robotics Competitions in Arizona for the 2011-2012 competition season. The 2011 VEX Robotics World Championship is an event for the world’s top middle-school, high-school and college VEX Robotics teams.

A Microchip representative will serve as a judge at the championship, and Microchip will also present a technical award at the event. VEX competitors throughout the world have used Microchip products as part of their robot designs for the past four years.

Microchip’s PIC18F8520 8-bit microcontroller is featured in VEX’s autonomous and dual-control starter bundles, while Microchip’s C Complier is offered as a programming option. The competition promotes education in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and teaches critical life skills such as teamwork, project management and problem solving.

It is the largest, fastest-growing middle- and high-school robotics program in the world, with more than 2,500 teams from 20 countries playing in more than 200 annual tournaments worldwide. As part of Microchip’s 2011-2012 Arizona regional sponsorships, a grant will be awarded on behalf of Microchip to the Arizona tournament partners for both events, which will provide the playing field, game kit, electronics and trophies.

Two Arizona-regional rookie teams will also receive grants from Microchip. These grants will provide the teams with a full VEX Robotics classroom lab kit and cover cost of their VEX Robotics Competition registration fee. Microchip has a tradition of supporting STEM education initiatives. In addition to sponsoring the 2011 VEX Robotics World Championship and the VEX Robotics Competitions in Arizona, Microchip has supported FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics for 11 years.

Since 2003, Microchip has served as the Organizing Sponsor and Leader in Technology Sponsor of the FIRST Robotics Competition Arizona Regional. Additionally, Sanghi serves as a FIRST sponsor, co-chair of the FIRST Arizona Regional Planning Committee and as a member of the FIRST Board of Directors, and many Microchip employees serve as FIRST team mentors and volunteers.