The robots scooted around a playing field the size of a large sandbox, their movements coordinated by teams of high school and junior high students fiddling with remote control devices.
The action was part of the Red Stick Robotics/UL Lafayette State Championship held Saturday at James Oliver Hall on campus. About 130 students representing 16 high schools and one junior high school participated. The competition was open to teams of students, age 11 to 18, who had qualified at smaller regional tournaments.
At the state championship, they tried to outscore each other in a game called Toss Up, competing with robots they had designed, built and programmed. The robots, no larger than 18 inches wide, long or tall, were maneuvered around a 12-foot by 12-foot playing field. The objective was to pick up plastic balls of two different sizes, move them into position and drop them in large cylindrical tubes or atop metal racks.
“It’s really fun, but it can be stressful, too,” said Anthony Doyle, a sophomore at Archbishop Hannan High School in Covington, La.
The non-profit Robotics and Education Foundation sponsored the Vex robotics tournament. The contests, which take place throughout the world, are designed to expose students to STEM subjects, or those related to science, technology, engineering and math.
“It provides a fantastic opportunity for students to learn about STEM careers, rather than waiting until they get to college to see if they might be interested,” said Dr. Frank Ducrest, an instructor and systems administrator in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Students also learn about time and stress management, teamwork and leadership through the robotics competitions.
Josh Leger, an Acadiana High School senior, said his role in his school’s robotics club has evolved from design and assembly work into mentoring duties. “This year, I’m teaching other students about the project, so I’m getting leadership experience,” he said.
Two high school teams, the ReauxBots from Catholic of Pointe Coupee in New Roads and the RoboTigers from Holy Cross in New Orleans, earned a berth in the Vex Robotics World Championships.
The world championships will take place from April 23-26 in Anaheim, Ca.
Team Combustion, which included students from Boyet Junior High School in Slidell, La., earned a spot in the middle school category, said Annie Cagle of Red Stick Sports.
Teams from the following schools competed in the state championships at UL Lafayette: Acadiana (Lafayette), Archbishop Hannan (Covington), Carroll (Monroe), Catholic of Pointe Coupee (New Roads), Comeaux (Lafayette), Fontainbleau (Mandeville), Hammond, Holy Cross (New Orleans), Louisiana Technology Student Association (Reserve), Lusher Charter (New Orleans), Madison (Tallulah), St. Frederick (Monroe), St. John (Plaquemine), St. Mary’s Dominican (New Orleans), St. Thomas Aquinas (Hammond), Saline (Saline) and Slidell (Slidell).
To learn more, visit redstickrobotics.org
See video of the state robotics championship.