TECHNOLOGY: Robots in overdrive

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June 8, 2008

By Joe Olenick<br><a href="mailto:olenickj@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Joe</a> The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Sun Jun 08, 2008, 11:30 PM EDT

After a season in “overdrive,” members of the Lockport and Newfane robotics teams are putting it in park so they can catch their breath.

The Lockport 1507 Warlocks and the Newfane 378 Circuit Stompers robotics teams completed successful seasons this year competing in FIRST Robotics. Both teams participated in two regional competitions, the Greater Toronto regional Competition and the Finger Lakes Regional in Rochester. Newfane took second at the Finger Lakes and advanced to the finals in Toronto. Lockport finished third in the Finger Lakes and second in Toronto.

“This was one of the best seasons we’ve ever had,” said Lockport senior Nichaela Bald.

The Circuit Stompers won “best Web site” at both regional competitions.

FIRST is an acronym that stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.” FIRST organizes competitions for teams who design, prototype and build a robot to do a specific task. FIRST was founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen. The organization which is based in Manchester, N. H., but competitions take place all over the world.

The season began Jan. 5 when both teams held a combined season kick off. Parents, colleagues and friends of the team members met at the Delphi Thermal Systems cafeteria for the FIRST global satellite broadcast of this year’s game description. Over the next six weeks both teams worked to create a robot that could meet the challenges described in the “Overdrive Game.”

What teams had to do was build a robot that could race around a track, knock a 40 inch ball off a six and a half foot rack, push the ball around and for bonus points, put the ball back on the rack. Robots operated in two different modes, by tele-operated control and a “hybrid” mode. Tele-operated means the robot is remote controlled by team members. The hybrid mode is a combination of autonomous operation (the robot is controlled by a program) and remote operation from a few team members.

“This year was kind of different,” said Circuit Stomper team co-captain Mike Lanighan.

Lanighan and co-captain Patrick Wick said the hybrid mode was new, most years the robot has to be in autonomous mode without any human intervention.

Teams working together isn’t uncommon in FIRST robotics. Bald said a lot of the teams at the competitions help each other out by providing equipment if needed whenever they can. The Warlocks let other teams borrow their 40 inch practice ball.

“It’s a cooper-etition,” Bald said. “You’re working with other teams but also competing. We brought the ball to the pit, and everyone would ask ‘can we borrow your ball’ and we’d say sure.”

Bald added there was a time when they had their ball paged at the competition. So many teams wanted to borrow it the Warlocks had to start a sign in sheet.

There was more excitement this season. The Warlocks was visited by Discovery Channel Canada host Shannon Bentley. Bentley spoke with a few students about “the pit,” an area where robot repairs are done and its computerized data base also known as, “the scouting report.” Lockport’s pit was honored with two judge’s awards for “good house keeping.”

Some students from both teams find competing in FIRST a great experience. Students who may not have the technical skill can still be a part of the teams, either by working on the Web site or the business side, or in another area.

“It’s unlike anything else,” said Zack DesJardins, a Warlock. “You work as a team, and it is hands on.”

“It’s what got me into what I want to do with my life, it’s what introduced me to engineering, and that’s what I’m going to school for,” Wick, a Circuit Stomper, said.

The Circuit Stompers and the Warlocks have been close since the Warlocks began in 2004. The Circuit Stompers began in 1999 with help from Delphi. Soon the interest spread to Lockport students, and for a couple of years both Newfane and Lockport students competed as a combined team. Four years later the teams still work together and even hold functions together, such as the season kick off.

Both teams are sponsored and mentored by Delphi. There is also a number of volunteers who help out the teams every chance they can. The mentors work side by side with the students and lead them through brainstorming, prototyping and building the robot.

“We are with the kids all the time,” said Norm Weber, a retired Delphi worker and Newfane mentor. “We try to teach, they learn and we get them involved.”

Competing in FIRST may impact what students do after finishing high school. There are scholarships available for participating in FIRST, about $9.6 million, most of which is never collected.

Contact reporter Joe Olenick

at 439-9222, ext. 6241.

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