NNSRI Team 1305 captured the bad guys & put them on ice

Team 1305 in Atlanta.

NNSRI Team 1305
News Release

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The Near North Student Robotics Initiative competed this past weekend at the FIRST World Robotics Championship in Atlanta, Georgia. Their robot tackled top competitors to make it to the semi-final action, an all-time best for the team, but it wasn't the robot that "stole" the show.

Team "Ice Cubed" was awarded the "Gracious Professionalism" award for their part in assisting the Atlanta police to recover another team's stolen trailer. At the closing ceremonies it was announced that in "true Mountie fashion, the team captured the bad guys and put them on ice".

On returning from the Georgia dome qualifying matches on Thursday night, team members noticed another team's brightly decorated trailer in an auto recycling yard. Upon returning to the hotel, team captain Alex Wilcox talked to the other team, and parent mentor Kim Stahl reported the sighting to the police, already on site at the hotel. Soon after, the team was able to identify their trailer and police arrested a suspect.

The Missouri team thought their trailer was "gone forever or probably all torn up" said team mentor Clint Ott. The team was grateful for the assistance in recovering the trailer and gave the Near North team their "Pass-it-On" Award. The amazing story was quickly posted on "Chief Delphi" a robotics website and caught the attention of many at the Atlanta event that featured more than 345 teams and hosted over 20 000 competitors, volunteers and spectators from around the world.

"Gracious Professionalism is the philosophy that emphasizes compassion, respect and consideration for others even within the highly competitive environment," explained engineering mentor, Gerry St. Denis. Teacher mentor Nadia Gagne is proud of the team's quick initiative and humbled by the international recognition that comes with this prestigious award.

Captain Alex Wilcox was very pleased with the robot that performed flawlessly at all the season's events. The team design featured a rotary kicker and a vacuum powered ball control system that was acknowledged to be one of the best. Ranked 5th in their division, the team was courted by others to form a strategic alliance of 3 robots that competed against opposing alliances. Alex commented, "While the team and I are very pleased with the robot's performance, it was also great to be acknowledged by MOE Robotics, a Hall of Fame team, with a "Functional Integrity" award for solid construction and reliability."

It is not the first time this highly decorated team has been acknowledged at the world championship level. Internationally, they have also earned the "Highest Rookie Seed" Award and Judges Award in 2004 along with the Safety Award in 2005. At the regional level, "Team Ice Cubed" has earned numerous accolades including more "Engineering Inspiration" awards than any other team in FIRST history, even though they have only been competing in these events for 7 of the 18 years of FIRST competitions. Although the team lacks a major corporate sponsor like some of the other teams, they consistently demonstrate that the students from the Near North District School Board can perform and succeed on a world stage.

The Near North Student Robotics Initiative would like to extend a heart-felt thank you to the school board, and many local businesses and individuals in their community that have supported them throughout the years.

The team will not rest for long and will begin preparations for "Robomania", at Northgate Square on June 4 and 5. The event will feature smaller Lego robots, as well as several mid to large size robots. Information on the team and how to join will be available for students, parents, mentors and sponsors.

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