Robot wars go global

When it comes to robot wars, a group of Feilding pupils is the team to beat.

For the third year in a row, Manchester Street School’s robotics team, the Odderbots, will fight tooth and claw at the world championship at Kentucky, United States, in April, having won the national primary school title last month. The Manawatu¯ school has achieved long-running success in the robotics world since introducing it as an extra-curricular activity in 2014.

Teacher Geoffrey Ward said the world championship was the largest tournament in the world, where the pupils would put their ingenuity, teamwork, programming, driving and problem solving up against the best teams around the globe.

With more than 30 countries involved, the competition is housed in the 120,000-square-metre Kentucky Convention Centre.

‘‘Compare this to Feilding’s Manfeild Stadium at 7750m2. If the students are experiencing this at such a young age what will they be grappling with in the future?’’

During term time, as soon as the lunchtime bell rings at Manchester Street School, a silent classroom is stampeded by kids clutching their lunchboxes.

As pupil Taylor Petterson explained, it wasn’t sandwiches driving the sudden rush of children – it was robotics club time.

‘‘We all gave up our free time. Lunchtimes, morning tea and after school – they were all spent building, breaking, fixing, programming and designing.’’

Maddie Mcalpine said the team would go back to the drawing board before taking off the Kentucky.

‘‘We keep modifying our design to make it better. If it isn’t working the way we want, we try another idea . . . We have lots of designs in our design diary.’’

The school’s former pupils, who make up the robotics squad at Feilding Intermediate, have carried on their winning ways, also taking the top prize at the national competition in Palmerston North last month.