The Southern Lehigh FIRST robotics team, the Spartechs, is wrapping up its robot build season and preparing for competitions next month. The team plans to attend two small competitions and, if qualified, a regional final at Lehigh University.
In early January, FIRST released the 2013 challenge, Ultimate Ascent. The object of the game is to shoot frisbees into slots at different levels off the ground. Bonus points are given to teams who can climb a vertical monkey bar style tower at the center of the field.
The Spartechs built their robot primarily to throw frisbees to the higher slots. The robot picks frisbees up from the ground and shoots them out the top of the robot.
This year’s challenge proved difficult for the Spartechs, primarily because of the time involved to prototype, test, and build the elements.
“The biggest challenge has been dealing with the reduced amount of build time,” Spartech adviser Mr. Robert Gaugler said.
Freshman Rebekah Fries has noticed the lack of time and overwhelming number of things that need to get done before the end of the build season.
“We’re not getting stuff done as fast as we should,” Fries said.
However, the team’s assets balance out this difficulty. This year’s team features a roughly 2:1 ratio of returning to new members, a ratio which both introduces new talents and builds upon veteran experience.
“We benefit from a combination of talents,” president Patrick Kroll said, “and how we are able to pull in artists and writers to help.”
“Our greatest asset is the way we can meld together as a group,” Gaugler said.
The Spartechs plan to attend two competitions in March. The team’s placement after these two competitions will determine entrance into the regional at Lehigh. Students enjoy the competitions because they provide an opportunity for team bonding and to see what innovative solutions other teams come up with.
“I like getting all the stats of the robots and watching them play,” secretary Natalie Costa said.
Though build season is stressful and competition is occasionally hectic, Spartech students enjoy robotics. Whether they describe robotics as “intricate,” “interesting,” or “incredible,” they gain real-life experiences and confidence when they leave Southern Lehigh.
