Tech experts
REGION: A group of pupils from Manchester Street School are taking the robotics world by storm as they prepare for their second world championships.
A group of Manawatu¯ pupils are taking the robotics world by storm as they prepare for their second world championships.
While other children were plugging away in the Manchester Street School classroom last week, its robotics team won the New Zealand Robotics Championships in Rotorua.
This earned them a shot at the VEX Robotics World Championship title in Louisville, United States, in April.
More than 1 million pupils from around the globe compete for a spot at the world champs, with Manchester Street’s gang of tech experts coming 22nd out of 272 teams last year.
They’re looking to go even better next year, robotics teacher Geoffrey Ward said.
Dubbed the Autobots, the team consists of Kaea Tahi-martin, Hunter Thurston and Kellan Heap.
They become the only New Zealand school to win an award at every VEX robotics national championship. In preparation for the main event next year, the team stayed in Rotorua for the Asia Pacific Robotic Championships, where they won the design award and excellence award.
This makes them the best primary school team in the Asiapacific region.
While in Rotorua, the team stopped at the Aratiatia Power Station Dam to see it released, raced on the luges and did the Redwood Tree Top Walk.
‘‘The students have put in a lot of time, preparation and lost many weekends over the entire year,’’ Ward said.
‘‘It is satisfying to see that hard work and determination rewarded with impressive results.’’
Although the team boasted two new members, captain Kellan went to the US last year, where the experience wasn’t confined to the robotics court.
They visited the Houston Museum of Natural Science and were taken on a tour of Nasa by Kiwi scientist Mana Vautier.
Vautier walked them past the world’s most historic corridors, including the control room for Apollo 11’s 1969 moon landing – where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first two humans on the moon.
They also visited the USS Texas, the only remaining World War I-era dreadnought battleship.
The children walked the deck of the ship, which was built in 1911, and sat in the gunner’s seat, staring down the barrel of two 1.46-inch guns.
‘‘It was an incredible experience competing with the best teams in the Asia and Pacific region,’’ Kellan said. ‘‘To come out on top made the results even more impressive.’’
The team’s robot builder Hunter said the competitions so far had only deepened his passion. ‘‘I can’t believe this is my first year in robotics and I’m going to worlds. I am so excited.’’
Programmer Kaea was ‘‘stunned’’ when the team were presented the excellence award – New Zealand’s top award.