WASHINGTON – Thousands of high school students around the world are already hard at work, getting a quick start on their 2016 FIRST Robotic Challenge robots.
“To be honest, I’m a little bit scared,” says student Kaleb Gezahegn. This is his first year taking part in the challenge with the team from Woodrow Wilson High School. He says the task looks a bit daunting. But he trusts the team.
“They managed to do it last year in extremely amazing fashion,” he says.
These teams of high school students will only have six weeks to design, build and test their robots to go and compete in a challenge against other teams.
“Designing a robot that can play the game is really interesting,” says Nick Fishman, president of the Woodrow Wilson team. “But the challenges really come in week four when you realize that your design is completely dysfunctional and you have to restart.”
The challenge this year for the robots is a bit more involved. Teams will work together in the challenge as part of an alliance and battle another alliance in a medieval-style siege match.
Successful robots will need to be able to navigate a variety of terrain, pick up boulders and toss them. For extra points, the machines will also need to be able to lift itself off the ground.
To get these robots finished in time for the battles, it takes a lot of time.
“Our team meets Monday through Friday after school, plus Saturdays,” says team member Linsey Asbury. “We’re there six days a week, working for as long as we can.”
While building robots is the most apparent challenge, students taking part also learn other lessons as well, like time management, personnel management and problem solving. It also offers a hands-on learning experience in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
