Fourty-eight teams entered the West Michigan regional robotics competition March 30. On April 1, a Goodrich High School team emegered victorious.
It is not a situation unfamiliar to the group, who were world champions in 2004.
The object of FIRST is to build a robot capable of competitively performing specific tasks, explained team leader Patrick Majors.
Students spent six weeks developing and perfecting their bot before heading out to regional competitions in Cleveland, Milwaukee and Allendale.
This year the GHS group had to incorporate a second team after particpation grew to38 students’more than 5 percent of the total GHS student body.
And while there is some friendly rivelry between the teams, both have proven themselves worthy competitors. The second team,’who were quarter-finalist in the western michigan regional? took first place in the Buckeye regional in Cleveland, Ohio on March 9-11.
Both teams were ranked second in the Milwaukee competition.
The final battle for ultimate robot glory takes place April 28-29 at the world wide competition in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.