The Scotbots robotics club is one of more than 2,200
participating teams worldwide. Of those, only 127 teams will earn the right to compete in the "Ring It Up" championship.
It sounds simple enough: grab rings of varying weights and put them on peg racks. But when you consider that all the work has to be done by a student-built robot that obeys the commands from a complex computer program - also designed by students - it gets tricky. Throw in other robots trying to knock your player out of the competition, and it's enough to short circuit your wires.
During the challenge, the area is cordoned off like a boxing ring, and the robots set off on their whirring mission of grabbing rings -- some of them weighted and some standard weight -- and strategically placing them on the peg racks for points. Like a boxing match, things get physical, and some robots are knocked down or even lifted up and dumped over by their opponents. The robots' actions are dictated by the students who stand outside the ring and guide them using their program.
"Even though this year's challenge seems more difficult than prior years, our team has developed some good ideas that I think will help us succeed," said junior Nick Palles. Senior Ike McLaughlin, who has studied computer science for years, said the robotics club opened many doors for him.
"I started thinking of ways I could actually apply the programs I write to real life, he said. "In addition to the real-world applications, it teaches all of us how to cooperate with a team." He also hopes that it will set him apart from other college applicants when it comes to admissions decisions.
There are a number of robotics competitions throughout the year, and last year, the Scotbots placed 21st at the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship in St. Louis, putting them at a rare elite level among robotics clubs.
"We met teams from so many places all over the world -- Korea, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia. Of course, everyone wants to win, but everyone is there to learn from each other and have a good time with the robots," HPHS technology instructor and ScotBot sponsor Tim Thomas said. "And that is why this organization is one of the best things I've ever been involved with as an educator. Not just the focus on science and technology, but it's so kid-centered. It's all about ... inspiring them to be problem-solvers and to take technology and do things that they never thought possible."
One hitch: the competition typically occurs at the end of the school year. Many students missed prom last year, and some even wore their dresses during robotics events, Thomas said.
"They called it robo prom night," quipped senior Hayley Will.