Kent School and FIRST Robotics: On the Move

Kent+School+and+FIRST+Robotics%3A+On+the+Move

Theo Freidenrich, Campus News Reporter

Kent’s FIRST Robotics program has recently expanded into another wing of the Pre-Engineering building in town.

In previous years, the activity has been held in a small room on the fourth floor of Schoolhouse, however, with the recent expansion to the larger space in town, the team can now really kick it into gear. Dr. Nadire notes that, “this is the craziest year ever” for the team. Kent has had an active competition-level robotics program for the past eight years, and this year brings the addition of “a parent to help guide the students through the process,” says Nadire.

Teams are divided into five separate groups to work together and build one robot for competition each year. The groups must each focus on either the drive train, mechanisms, electrical and wiring mechanics, programming, or driving and strategy. As dictated by the thirty-two page rulebook, teams must also publicize how much their robots cost to prototype and build and how exactly this money was used.  All competitors must also pass a rigorous inspection. If a robot does not pass inspection or does not meet the regulations, the team is automatically disqualified.

The type of competition changes every year, so teams must constantly adapt. This year’s competition is called FIRST Overdrive and is, “played on a 54’ x 27’ track divided into a Red side and a Blue side” as described by the FIRST handbook. Each side is made up of three teams that must cooperate to score points by knocking their opponent’s balls off an overpass and getting said balls to the finish line.

Kent’s team meets as an activity after school to prototype, build, and test their robot. The FIRST Robotics competition allows the teams only six weeks to design, build, and test their robot before bringing it to compete in a district competition. With the clock ticking, our team has one month left to complete their work before the fast approaching “Stop Build Day” of February 23rd. If all goes well, the team could attend the regional competition later this year. Stay tuned for more updates regarding the team, or speak with Mr. Austin, Ms. Hobeika, or Dr. Nadire. You can also check out http://www.firstinspires.org to learn more.