United Technologies Corp. is paying the entry fees for four of the seven Connecticut student teams it sponsors that have qualified for the national FIRST Robotics championship this week in Atlanta.
The Hartford parent of Pratt & Whitney, Otis Elevator and Sikorsky Aircraft, among other industrial-manufacturing firms, also put $100,000 toward the closing ceremonies for the 2010 FIRST Championship closing ceremonies.
UTC said four squads already have taken advantage of its bonus-grant program to cover their $5,000 entry fees:Â Aces High in Windsor Locks; Gaelhawks from Shelton; the Pirates of the Pythagorean in Hartford; and ÃœberBots in Avon.
UberBots was part of a team alliance that in March captured the New England FIRST regional championship in Hartford and qualified for the national that runs Thursday through Saturday.
Three other UTC-funded Connectictut robotics teams also will compete in Atlanta : Buzz Robotics from Enfield; Bobcat Robotics in South Windsor; and the Enforcers from Farmington.
UTC has contributed more than $3 million to FIRST Robotics since 1994, when the company began sponsoring teams.
