Contributed report
The San Carlos High School Braves Robotics Team, called the Circuit Breakers, recently attended the FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics “Rover Rockus” Gilbert Qualifying Tournament on Nov. 17, where they received a second runner-up Inspire Award at Gilbert Christian High School in Gilbert, Ariz.
For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, simply referred to as FIRST, provided the competition where the Braves robot performed both autonomous and driver-controlled tasks of landing, pushing minerals into a depot and climbing up a lander before the end of the game.
According to the FIRST Tech Challenge website, teams can consist of up to 15 members in grades 7-12. The teams are challenged to design, build, program, and operate robots to compete in a head-to-head challenge in an alliance format.
Teams are guided by adult coaches and mentors, students develop STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills and practice engineering principles like keeping an engineering notebook all while realizing the value of hard work, innovation and sharing ideas. The robot kit is reusable from year-to-year and can be programmed using a variety of languages, including Java. Teams must also raise funds, design and market their team brand, and do community outreach for which they can win awards.
Renevie Magboo, the robotics coach and physical science teacher, explained the robot performed well.
“The robot did well in all the matches but with the combined scores of their alliance robot, they won two out of five matches during the elimination round,” she said. “The team ranked 15 out of 22 schools.”
Magboo said the team embodied most of the thrust and vision of FIRST on and off the playing field. As a result, the team received the second runner-up Inspire Award at the tournament, which qualifies them to advance to the Arizona-New Mexico State Championship competition scheduled Feb. 23 at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.
Magboo explained the team demonstrated and documented their work in the community. The team was also positive and inclusive, and each team member contributed to the success of the team. They submitted an engineering notebook, which included an engineering section, a team section and a business strategic plan.
“The entire engineering notebook was high quality, thoughtful, thorough, detailed and well-organized,” Magboo said. “The robot design was creative and innovative, and the robot performed reliably on the field. The team communicated clearly about their robot design and strategy to the judges.”
San Carlos High School has been doing robotics since 2012.
“We are doing VEX Robotics and the FIRST Tech Challenge this school year,” Magboo said. “In the past, we did FIRST Robotics competition and we have competed in the West Regional FRC several times and we received the Judges Award in 2016.”
According to FIRST, there are positive impacts of their programs on student academics and achievement. More than 86 percent of participants have interest in doing well in school and 87 percent are more interested in attending college and furthering their education.
The positive impacts, according to FIRST, is participants have the opportunity to: design, build and program robots; apply real world math and science reports; develop problem-solving, collaboration and team-building skills; build and become strong leaders; understand and practice gracious professionalism; cooperate and compete in alliances at tournaments; compete for awards on-and-off the field; participate in a tiered competition that culminates at the FIRST championship; and qualify for millions of dollars in college scholarships. But most of all, participants have fun.
Magboo thanks Globe High School Midnight Cicadas Robotics Team for helping to mentor the team and Donna Antonio for providing the team’s shirts. The team also thanks their major sponsors: San Carlos Unified School District No. 20, Resolution Copper, Freeport-McMoRan, Inc., and to all individuals who continuously support them.
