Robotics team from Scott City qualifies for state competition

A robot from Scott City High School recently took over the FIRST Tech Challenge Competition in St. Louis.

On Dec. 10, a team of 10 students won a spot in the robotics competition's first place alliance and qualified to move on to the state championship.

Months of hard work outside school went into producing Team Gurren's robot, said Randy Shinn, the team's mentor.

"It's a big time commitment for them," Shinn said. They have to raise funds and really use some imagination to be successful, he said.

"While we build a robot, this isn't a club where I show them how to build a robot," he said. FIRST presents a challenge, then team members have to design, build and program a robot that best meets that challenge.

Competitions like the FIRST Tech Challenge are designed for student teams who want to compete head-to-head in an alliance format against other teams. Teams are required to develop strategies and build robots based on sound engineering principles and awards are given for the competition as for well as for community outreach, design and other real-world accomplishments, according to the organization that runs the competition.

The benefits are the application of math and science concepts, the development of problem-solving, organizational and team-building skills and possible qualification for scholarship money.

Team member Mike Bradshaw plans to study computer science in college. His time on the team has allowed him to have fun and experience building and programming robots, he said.

"I joined because I'm interested in robotics and engineering and I wanted to make a radical robot. I wanted to work with my fellow brethren to build an awesome robot and compete in competitions with my friends," he said.

Team member Hunter Cox said he has experienced a competitive environment unlike sports while on the team. He wanted to be a part of it to help him improve his engineering skills, he said.

Shinn said one of the best parts of robotics is watching the ideas of the students becoming a working machine. Doing that takes a lot of brainstorming, cooperation, compromise and trial and error, he said.

The robotics team will compete again Jan. 28 in Cape Girardeau and at the state championship Feb. 25 in Rolla, Mo.

"In robotics, there is never a final product," Shinn said. "Even though we did well at the St. Louis competition, the students saw ideas other teams had, and now are trying to incorporate some of them into the present design."

eragan@semissourian.com

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