When most people hear that I’m on the robotics team at school, they automatically think I’m a nerd. Others put on a fake face and pretend they know what I’m talking about.
Robotics is the art of building an actual robot while working side-by-side with engineers and other mentors through hands-on experiences. And while there is a stereotype that it attracts only nerds and geeks, it’s for anyone who has an interest in engineering or wants to try it. Although robotics is not hard, there are opportunities to be competitive since you can compete with over two thousand teams during the FIRST Robotics Competition held annually at venues all over the world.
The West Windsor-Plainsboro School District has a FRC Robotics team called the Mid-Knight Inventors made up of students from High School North and South. We compete every year against some of the best teams in the tri-state area and have compiled a respectable record. Last year we named our robot KnightRider because we thought it looked like the sleek Knight Rider sports car from the T.V. show. We placed 22nd out of more than 60 teams at the New Jersey Regional, at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton.
The whole team works on the robot. Every student knows the robot inside and out. The program is demanding, but offers the opportunity to interact with engineers and ask them questions about building a better robot. The students work side-by-side with these mentors who teach the students all they can, while allowing the students to get the hands-on experience they need to absorb the knowledge. Being on the robotics team requires the same amount of time and dedication as any other sport. Some people are afraid to join because they are apprehensive about using power tools and machines. Others decline only because they think they are not suited for robotics. One thing I find special about the WW-P Robotics team is that whatever your talents or skills, we will find a place for you.
Building a robot costs money, and a lot of it. Just to register the team requires $6,”000 each year! Our expenses include travel to competitions, registration fees, and materials. Local companies kind enough to support us with money and mentors include: West Windsor-Plainsboro Education Foundation, Integra Foundation, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Janssen, Friends of 1923, and WW-P North.
We students come up with the rest of the money through fundraisers. One of the little-known benefits of being part of a FIRST team is the $9 million in scholarships available from such prestigious universities as MIT and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
The challenge we face changes every year. Kickoff occurs during the first Saturday of the New Year when the game is announced. This year it is called ‘Lunacy,’ and you can view the game animations YouTube. Just search “2009 FIRST Game Animation.” The actual rules can be found on the FIRST website at https://usfirst.org/community/frc. Anyone who wishes to see an actual competition can come out to Sovereign Bank Arena to watch on Friday and Saturday, February 27 and 28.
Our team has limited resources, and we can always use more money, materials, and brainpower. If anyone would like to join, see what we do firsthand, or make a donation, please contact me at 609-275-0091, or E-mail me at xspatel93x@gmail.com.
Patel is a sophomore at High School North and co-captain of the robotics team.
