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Delphi's First Robotic Teams Compete At Great Lakes Regional

13 March 2000

Delphi Automotive Systems First Robotic Teams Compete At Great Lakes Regional, March 10-11

    FLINT, Mich., March 10 Nine robotic teams, 6 fully
sponsored and 3 co-sponsored, by Delphi Automotive Systems will be
among some 70 competing teams at this weekend's FIRST Great Lakes Regional
Competition.  FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and
Technology.  The competition will be held at Eastern Michigan University's
Bowen Field House, with seeding matches held on Friday, March 10, and match
play on Saturday, March 11.
    The six teams fully sponsored by Delphi Automotive Systems are:
    -- Team #45 - 1998 National Champions TechnoKats from Kokomo High School,
       Kokomo, Ind.
    -- Team #48 - 1999 National Champions Delphi Elite from Warren G. Harding
       High School, Warren, Ohio
    -- Team #378 - Circuit Stompers from Newfane High School, Newfane, NY
    -- Team #397 - Knight Riders from Flint Southwestern Academy, Flint, Mich.
    -- Team #47 - Chief Delphi from Pontiac Central High School, Pontiac,
       Mich.
    -- Team #49 - Delphi Knights from Buena Vista High School, Saginaw, Mich.

    In addition, Delphi co-sponsors three FIRST teams:
    -- Team #226 - General Motors Controls, Robotics and Welding and Troy High
       School.
    -- Team #288 - Rapistan Systems/X-rite, Incorporated and Grandville High
       School
    -- Team #314 - GM Truck Group - Flint Assembly and UAW Local 598 and
       Carman-Ainsworth High School

    The 2000 FIRST Competition has more than 370 teams competing in 10
regional competitions leading up to the national competition in Orlando, Fla.,
next month.  The FIRST competition comes complete with spectators, referees,
cheerleaders and time clocks -- just like an athletic competition.
    Delphi Automotive Systems Chairman, CEO, and President J. T. Battenberg
III, said, "We are working with a valuable resource -- today's young people.
FIRST isn't just about winning.  It's about learning ... being a part of a
team ... creating a plan and working through it to see the results of your
efforts.  Our engineers have told us countless stories about these young
people.  It is truly rewarding to know that we have an opportunity to
influence these young people and their future career choices.  And our
engineers get rejuvenated about their careers all over again.  That's what
FIRST is all about!"  Battenberg is also a member of the FIRST National Board.
    Donald L. Runkle, Delphi executive vice president and FIRST Great Lakes
Regional steering committee member, said, "Delphi is a high-tech company with
a broad spectrum of products and that's what sets us apart from our
competitors and helps us to remain a leader in the industry.  Working with
FIRST allows us to build a future workforce through cooperative partnerships
between Delphi and area schools, which helps America's students excel in
science and technology.  It's a terrific way to build our future competitive
advantage."
    FIRST was established in 1989 to interest and inspire students in
mathematics and science.  The designing, building and testing of a robot built
from a kit that includes a microprocessor, radio-frequency transmitters and
receivers, electrical components, motors, batteries and other hardware, begins
in January and continues for six weeks.
    The FIRST Robotics Competition centers on a new challenge each year -- a
competition that pits teams and robots against one another in a technical
"game."  Each is designed to convince young people that science cannot only
be exciting and rewarding but is as much fun as traditional sports.  Founded
in 1989 by New Hampshire entrepreneur and inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST is a
non-profit organization that brings together business, education and
government in team sponsorships.
    Delphi Automotive Systems, headquartered in Troy, Mich., USA, is a world
leader in transportation and mobile electronics components and systems
technology.  Delphi's three business sectors -- Dynamics & Propulsion; Safety,
Thermal & Electrical Architecture; and Electronics & Mobile Communication --
provide comprehensive product solutions to complex customer needs.  Delphi has
approximately 213,500 employees, and operates 175 wholly owned manufacturing
sites, 41 joint ventures, 53 customer centers and sales offices and 27
technical centers in 38 countries.  Regional headquarters are located in
Paris, Tokyo and Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Delphi can be found on the Internet at
http://www.delphiauto.com