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A group of high school students participating in the Hotwire Robotics Club, sponsored by Meggitt Polymers and Composites in conjunction with Boeing and others, brought their machine to Meggitt's McMinnville plant this week as a gesture of thanks. They took the opportunity to explain the progress they're making toward entry of their robot in a series of competitions.
The program is a part of FIRST, acronym of For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, which was founded by Dean Kamen, developer of the Segway personal transportation vehicle. The team, based in Turner, combines students from Cascade and Stayton high schools.
"Every year, we have a challenge to build and compete against others," said member Madi Lack. "This year the challenge is basketball."
Details were released in January, and students were given six weeks to create a robot in response.
The robots from the various teams have been charged with shooting balls through a series of hoops posted at different levels.
Robots are allowed to shoot up to three balls at a time. Balls sailing through the two highest-mounted hoops count three points each, while baskets scored at lower-mounted hoops count one or two points each.
Hotwire's robot uses a belt system to suck balls in. It sends them to a spinning apparatus, modeled after that of a baseball pitching machine, which shoots balls toward baskets in the same fashion an actual player might.
The rules also require the robots to balance on something similar to a teeter-totter while they're at it, greatly increasing the degree of difficult. With that in mind, said member Max Schmidt, "We tried to keep most of the weight centered at the bottom."
They have equipped their robot with special omni-directional wheels invented in 1973 by engineer Bengt Ilon of the Swedish company Mecanum AB. Sometimes called Ilon wheels, they feature a set of rollers attached at a 45-degree angle, making them extremely maneuverable.
After a scrimmage planned for today in Corvallis, the robot must be bagged and sealed, making it strictly off limits until the day of competition, according to team spokesperson Hannah Stuckart.
Stuckart said entry fees alone run $5,000 for the first regional and $4,000 for the second. When you add in the cost of parts and travel, it becomes very expensive, she said.
That's where companies like Boeing and Meggitt, a major Boeing supplier, come in. They can provide in-kind products and services in addition to direct financial support.
And in Stuckart's view, "It's worth every penny." She said, "We get a lot out of this program that we can't get in a classroom environment."
Randy Rothweiler of Salem, lead mentor for the team, said the goal with the presentation was to show Meggitt what their generous support had helped the team create.
Lack, Schmidt and Stuckart were joined in the presentation by colleagues Zack Miller, Emmitt Johnson and Caleb LaChapelle.
Teams can have up to 50 members, and some do. But the Turner-based team hasn't let its small size keep it from competing multiple times in the championships, going up against hundreds of teams from throughout the nation and world.
This year, the finals are scheduled for April in St. Louis. And the Turner team hopes to be there.
To realize that hope, it will have to stand out at regionals slated in Portland and Seattle.
After the presentation, the students took the robot over for a weigh-in on a set of Meggitt scales. It came in at 124 pounds, four pounds over the limit, so will have to go on a diet.
Rothweiler said two ideas are being considered - drilling holes in the metal base, honeycomb fashion, and swapping out metal bolts in favor of plastic counterparts.
Steve Fackler of Meggit said the robotics club is seeking additional sponsors. Anyone interesting in helping can reach Rothweiler at 503-851-7453.
By Molly Walker of The News Register
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