Upper School Team Invited to Robotics World Championship
After being waitlisted, Upper School’s Optimus Prin team was delighted to receive an invitation to the 2016 FIRST* Robotics Competition, a world championship with 20,000 students and 900 teams from 39 countries held right here in St. Louis! In an earlier regional competition, the team received the Excellence in Engineering Award, which honors ingenuity and innovation. That award tipped the balance, moving them off the waitlist and into the final competition.
The Pit, where teams worked on their robots and presented exhibits in a 10’ x 10’ area, was set up in the America’s Center convention complex. The actual competition was on Carver field, one of eight such “fields” or arenas, on which Optimus Prin competed with 75 other teams. The Pit exhibit and the section overlooking Carver field were filled with other Principia robotics students scouting out the competition, keeping score, and talking with and supporting the team members—as well as with friends and faculty who stopped by to cheer on Optimus Prin.
According to robotics instructor Kathy Foy (C’70), “The team did an awesome job of maneuvering the obstacles and shooting the boulder into the castle keep. When the machine needed wires soldered, arms adjusted, or programming commands changed, the Pit Crew was quick to fix the problems.” After 10 qualifying matches, our team placed a respectable 29th. Their gracious demonstration of professionalism and exemplification of their team motto, Magnify the Good, were noted and appreciated by judges, neighboring teams, and competition officials.
Competing at such a high level certainly energized our students, making them even more eager for the upcoming Missouri State FIRST Robotics Competition—where, last year, Principia was on the alliance that took first place. This year’s state competition will be held May 14 in Sedalia, Missouri.
*FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.