WHS robotics having first time for FIRST

The emphasis on STEM, Math and sciences in schools has broadened the horizons of high school kids when it comes to dealing with the 21st Century and skills needed. Robotic competitions that are happening in high schools across the country are common and influenced heavily by popular culture; it keeps the students fascinated and builds enthusiasm for the project.

Wimberley High School students will be entering, for the first time, into the FIRST Robotics competition. The meet will host 32 Texas teams from around the state. FIRST is “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology” and is held nation-wide by different competing schools.

Engineering Teacher, STEM Club Sponsor, and Robotics Coach Sarah Schmidt’s classes are challenging to the students, and the robot is not her project, it is the kids. She acts as an advisor, with different students taking lead roles.

The kids work as a team, namely the Wimberley Wavelengths. Building a robot takes just a few of the kids, but there is also a software team to make the robot do as it’s told, marketing teams that have to come up with promotional material, design of the robot and it’s function, etc.

Builders and mechanics work separately from software, designers, and marketing groups. Not only do you have to complete the robot, you have to have a marketing campaign with a marketing presentation presented live as part of the whole process. “It gives you experience and it looks good on your resume for college,” marketer Selah Urbina said. “From the marketing aspect, you are learning skills to help you to communicate better while you are working with other schools,” marketer Quin Webber said.

Of course there are rules and regulations of what materials are used, size, and how the robots achieve their tasks. There is a maximum of 20 students on a team, which has to raise funds in the community, design a team brand, and design/build a robot to be used in competition.

This year’s game is inspired by Star Wars, something the kids grew up with, a sprinkle of Pac Man. The goal of this year’s game is to have your robot score points, and you have to feed the robot Nerf balls (power cells) and get points or baskets. Asteroids and ‘droids are included in the story.

“It teaches how to do the project and how to have as much fun as possible,” WHS student Henry Price said. “The robot sucks it up (the Nerf ball) on a conveyor belt and shoots it out, rams other robots, like a robot basketball game. It drives around preloaded with a couple balls, and you feed it (with Nerf balls) from outside the ring.”

Although it is a competition, camaraderie reigns, teams from different schools are mentors to others. This is true during tournaments too, when one team has problems with their robots, other teams will help.

The game is called “Infinite Recharge” and the 2:00 video explains it. Easy way? Go to YouTube and type in “infinite recharge,” it’s the animation one.

Form follows function is the old saying, and it remains true. Envisioning an R2D2 or 3CP0 is not in the game, although the robots do have different functions. These are scooping up the balls, aiming them, and then shooting for a different level, it really is quite complicated.

They’ll be competing with 32 schools or so at Dripping Springs High School’s Competition Gym. It starts Friday, February 28 at 5 until 10 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday March 18 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.