BATTLE OF THE BRAIN
Annual robotics competition brings high schoolers to RPI
TROY, N.Y. >> Families, friends and other spectators filled the bleachers of the East Athletic Village Arena at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Friday afternoon to watch high school students from around the world compete in a series of fast-paced robotic faceoffs.
In RPI’s fourth year of hosting the three-day New York Tech Valley Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, high school students from the Capital Region and as far away as India showed off complex robotic work they completed in less than two months.
Students worked with teachers and other mentors to design, build, program and test their robots to meet the standards of the competition. Teams gathered in the center of the arena to compete against the clock to complete a series of tasks that involved autonomous, tele-operated and alliance activities.
This year’s competition required contestants to build enough steam pressure to launch neon green balls into buckets at each corner of the field. They also guided their robots to transport gear from team members on the sidelines to their airship in the center of the field before lifting their robot via a rope attached to the airship.
The success of the robots is reliant on students’ math and science skills, as well as their cooperation and teamwork with fellow students and teachers.
“We only have six weeks to build it,” said Casey Collins, a senior at Hauppauge High School on Long Island. “We normally work on weekends and we’re usually there until 12, sometimes 1.”
Collins and her team of 40 students, who call themselves the Robotic Eagles, won their last match before a lunch break Friday, leaving them with enough points to move atop the competition, dropping The Rocketeers of Shenendehowa High School into second place. Collins rushed from the field to join her team on the sidelines and announce their victory, glowing with pride and excitement.
“It’s just such an incredible feeling,” said Collins as she grinned from ear-toear. “You meet so many interesting people, it’s handson, and just something you can’t experience in a classroom.”
Across the room, Ballston Spa’s Team 0xBE4 talked strategy in anticipation of their remaining matches. Junior Ethan Miter, whose team was ranked 15th out of 34 teams as of Friday afternoon, said he was hopeful the 32-member group would move up before the end of the weekend after fixing a few minor parts on their robot.
“The forecast is looking good,” said Miter.
Students like Collins and Miter spent their lunch break in a room behind the competing area, where they made small, postmatch tweaks to their robots. Shenendehowa sophomores Sydney Walker and Isabel Rodrigues assessed their team’s robot, which was facing its next match just after lunch.
“We made two robots,” said Rodrigues, “so we can practice and make modifications from the time that we end to when we get here, and even then, we’re still going at it.”
If the robot does not require repairs after a match, Walker said team members typically work on coding for the autonomous portion of the match to ensure the robot moves properly and performs the right functions on the field.
Many students who take part in robotics are also involved in other sports and take advanced placement classes, according to Walker.
“It’s the reason I’m passing chemistry,” said Rodrigues, who credits robotics to her greater understanding of science classes and her willingness to be a leader in and out of the classroom. “I have become a way better leader than I ever could’ve thought.”
The FIRST Robotics Competition aims to provide a foundation for soft skills like critical thinking, teamwork, communication, punctuality, and adaptability to prepare students for their future in the workforce.
“For me, it’s just about getting to work with the team,” said Walker, who became emotional when sharing the most rewarding parts of robotics. “I had severe social anxiety when I came in, and now, it’s just gone.”
The winning team will be announced Saturday night after a series of playoff matches among Friday’s top eight teams. Winners of the regional competition will move on to compete in the World Championship in St. Louis in April.