Sparks were flying the other day in the CCHS Industrial Arts room as the Robotics team began its six-week building of the robot. Billy Hackett looks on while Hannah Vander Heiden cuts metal for the robot’s frame. This year’s robot will do three tasks. One is to pick up and shoot balls through a target. The second is to place gears in a machine, and the third is to climb a rope.
A group of 19 sleepy Cook County High School (CCHS) Robotics teammates boarded a school bus on Saturday, January 7 and traveled to Duluth for the “Big Reveal,” the day selected where all of the teams worldwide learned that Steamworks was the theme for the upcoming FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition.
The date marked the beginning of the design and build season for all of the teams worldwide. Teams have six weeks to build their robots before the competition starts.
Each attending team received a kit of parts made up of motors, batteries, control system components, construction materials, and a mix of additional automation components—with limited instructions. Working with adult mentors, each team has six weeks to design, build, program and test their robots to meet the season’s engineering challenge.
Once the robots are made, teams will participate in one or more of the 145 regional and district events that measure the effectiveness of each robot, which is controlled in collaboration with teammates.
While some students build the robot, other kids work on programming. David Blackburn looks over Noah Works shoulder at the computer screen as the two search for the best computer language they will use to program the multi-tasked robot.
Dean Kamen, the founder of FIRST, describes his vision for the organization, “To transform our culture by creating the world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming scientists and technology leaders.”
Last year the CCHS Robotics Ice Storm team came close to making it to the national tournament. The team finished in sixth place out of 60 schools in the Northern Light Regional competition held at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.
Teams came from all throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and one squad was from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. There were thousands of fans in the seats, team mascots, banners and flags with team emblems, and non-stop music as the competitions over two days were being held.
Daniel Henry returns as the CCHS coach in 2017, but other adult mentors will step in and assist the kids. The team’s first practice—a planning session— was held Wednesday, January 11 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. The next day sparks literally flew as metal was cut and ground down for the robot, or “bot,” as the kids call it. One group of kids sat at computers coding the program that will guide the ‘bot. Another group made a wooden frame that shows the most outside dimensions the robot can be built to.
Students who participate in robotics learn practical skills including welding, cutting metal, wiring, machining parts, mechanical engineering, and coding. They also learn to work together as a team, gain self-confidence, leadership and communication skills.
CCHS students participating on this year’s team are: Connor Franks, Hannah Vander Heiden, Sam Meyer, Jack Viren, David Blackburn, Kestrel Pollock, Andy Kern, Isak Terrill, Adrian Howard- Larsen, Caleb Phillips, Lynden Blomberg, Jaden Aubid, Noah Works, John Van Heiden, Joe James, Linnea Gesch, Brooke Sherer, William Hackett, Noah Roth, JRonald Tamanaha, Gaben Henry.
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