FLINT ? Oxford High School’s robotics team did quite well Saturday as it advanced to the semi-finals during its first competition of the season.
Pitted against 41 other teams from Michigan, Ohio and Canada, the RoboCats scored an impressive six wins and three losses at the Ninth Annual Kettering Kickoff held at Kettering University.
Using the radio-controlled robot they built earlier this year, the RoboCats placed in the top four playing a game called FIRST Overdrive.
The object of the game is to score points by making the robots do counter-clockwise laps around a 54-foot-long, 27-foot-wide track while moving 40-inch ‘trackballs? over and/or under the 6-foot, 6-inch overpass that bisects the track.
Two alliances, one red and one blue, composed of three teams each, compete in each match. Matches last 2 minutes and 15 seconds.
Embarking on its third year as a club at OHS, the RoboCats will begin building a new robot in early January for the upcoming season of FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC).
FRC is a unique varsity sport of the mind designed to help high school students discover how interesting and rewarding the life of engineers and researchers can be.
Each robotics team is given a standard kit of parts every year and a common set of rules. They then have six weeks to concept, design, build and refine a new robot able to accomplish whatever tasks or challenges are part of that year’s competition.
As the team continues to grow, the RoboCats are hoping to attract the interest of students and sponsors alike.
Right now, the team consists of about 30 members, but there’s always room for more.
‘We’ve only got about six or seven (members) from last year. It’s like a brand new team again,? said Lynnea Bauman, mother of senior Travis Bauman, who’s been with the RoboCats right from the start.
The RoboCats are holding an informational meeting for current members, new recruits and potential members at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1 in the OHS robotics room (#247).
Students possessing a variety of talents, technical expertise and diverse areas of interest are needed to help keep the team going.
Participants are needed to do mechanical and electrical engineering, design, fabrication, programming, web design, computer animation, marketing and publications.
Bauman’s hoping the robotics team will get ‘more connected? with classes being taught at the high school.
‘That’s the purpose of this ? to take what the kids are learning in school and apply it to real world situations,? she said. ‘That way when the kids go to college and apply for internships or jobs, they’ll be able to apply their skills.?
The team’s very appreciative of the interest Oxford Superintendent Dr. Bill Skilling has taken in their activities.
‘Dr. Skilling has been very, very supportive,? Bauman said. ‘He even came to the Great Lakes Regional (competition) to see us perform and see what it’s all about.?
Although the team is currently classified by the school district as a club, the RoboCats are working on gaining recognition as an official sport, thus enabling members to earn varsity letters.
Sponsors are also being sought. Those willing to donate money, materials or special services such as welding are welcome to call Nancy Zuccaro at (248) 628-3312.
‘Anybody who’s interested, please give us a call,? Bauman said.