Near North Student Robotics Team News Release ****************** The Near North Student Robotics Team competed at the FIRST world championships in St. Louis, Missouri this past weekend.
The Near North Student Robotics Team competed at the FIRST world championships in St. Louis, Missouri this past weekend. The team gave it their all and was in 8th place in the highly competitive Galileo division on the Thursday but eventually fell to 31st place in an 88 player division and was eliminated on Saturday due to a problem with their computer that affected their scoring arm. Working through tough problems during the stress of competition and in front of thousands of screaming fans is part of what makes the event so special. The team cheered on fellow Canucks from Kincardine, the “Kinetic Knights”, who rocketed right to the final match before losing to the winning alliance from California and Illinois.
The Near North Student Robotics Initiative’s robot, Duke, was able to score on all three levels of scoring pegs and also featured indicator lights to communicate with other alliance partners for strategic play during the game. The robot featured the solid signature drive train that has been the team trademark for reliability and performance. The telescopic arm and effective claw easily reached the top level of the scoring board for scoring premium points. A few modifications from the first regional competition improved the effectiveness of the scoring and bonus point capabilities. The mini-bot component of the challenge evolved through several design iterations and provided a unique opportunity for learning and working under stress.
First year team member, Emma Westerlund said one of the highlights for her was the Friday night concert that featured Grammy winning artist will.i.am, surprise guests the Black Eyed Peas as well as new performer Willow Smith.
“It was my first ever concert, it was free and it was a great experience”.
The team was selected to be on the floor of the concert right beside the stage.
“We hooked up with another team, the “Space Cookies” to get within a few feet of the stage. It was awesome.”
Other team members noted the fun they had visiting the famous arch of St. Louis, the city museum, interacting with other teams, dancing with the spirited Mexican teams, and visiting exhibit booths from Boeing and the Central Intelligence Agency. The Boeing booth featured F-18 simulators while the CIA’s showcased a rapid prototyping device variety of demonstrative robots. Actor Morgan Freeman and Honda’s “Asimo” humanoid robot also attended the competition.
Mentors Michelle Graham and Nadia Gagne participated in the “Mothers of Invention” workshop that featured the mothers of will.i.am, FIRST founder Dean Kamen, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and the mother of Sal Khan of the Khan Academy. Inspiration came from the women’s stories about their journey to raise sons with vision and ingenuity, how they recognized greatness within their children and supported them through challenges they experienced.
“I was encouraged and validated by their common belief that sometimes, when our children have great passion for learning and innovation (in any field), what we need most to do is keep out of their way and facilitate their growth and learning through our love and support.”
Another highlight for the team was the recognition for Martin Gagne who was selected from more than 3500 student nominees for a short list of 102 of the top students as nominated from their peers. Although not selected for the top 10, Martin did receive a neat prize pack of electronic items as well as letters of support from 3 highly ranked universities. Will.i.am also made an appearance at the awards presentation and called the group “Booted, suited, and ready for the future.”
During the upcoming weeks members will be preparing for “Robomania” their popular robotics exhibition at Northgate Square May 27 – 29th. The group was comprised of 27 students from 5 Near North District schools as well as 11 parents and mentors. The world championship event featured the best of more than 2075 teams from 11 different countries. The team was pleased to represent the Near North District School Board as well as the city of North Bay at the highest level.
