Bobcat robotic teams prep for qualifiers

When you think of robot competitions, you might conjure up images of metal creations battling it out with saw blades, battering rams, spikes or any other devious implements. But at Hot Springs County High School, the Robotics students are busy building and programming their robots not to battle but to perform tasks.

Eric Range explained his team, Fistful of Axles - 7283, is coached up by Curtis Hamer, while London Jenks coaches Aluminati - 4273.

This year, Jenks said, they have a new CNC machine, called an X-Carve, which is used to cut out custom parts for their robots, and they have been using it a fair amount.

Each year, the Robotics teams have new challenges. This year, they are doing Relic Recovery. In the challenge, students have to use their robots to pick up cubes, referred to as "glyphs," move them around and stack them. There is also a relic, similar to the golden idol in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," they have to pick up and put in a certain spot.

This is the first time in eight years that the competition has extended outside the arena, Jenks said, explaining there is a 10 foot by 10 foot arena with a one foot plexiglass barrier. Typically all of the competition takes place inside the arena, but in order to score for the relic it has to be taken outside the arena to a certain area.

The students have already started doing some qualifying tournaments in Montana, though state competitions are in February. Jenks noted Wyoming doesn't have qualifiers, they just take 36 teams, so they're doing qualifiers in Montana and trying to make it to the qualifiers and state tournament in Utah as well.

Jenks further explained the maximum that can be at a tournament is 36 teams, and qualifiers allow 18 teams to qualify for the state tournament. Montana has two qualifiers.

Regarding scoring at the qualifiers, Range said there is a "crypto box," and for each glyph scored into the box the team receives two points. The crypto boxes also allow for the building of patterns with the two different colored glyphs, and completing the patterns means bonus points. Each team is paired with an "alliance team," randomly selected every round.

Jenks said for each win, two qualifying points are awarded. There are also round points awarded, which is the number of points scored by the losing alliance. For instance, if two alliances are competing and the losing alliance is still able to score 30 points, both teams receive 30 round points but only the winner receives the two qualifying points.

Teams are ranked first by qualifying points, then by round points, with those in the top 18 qualifying for the state tournament.

There are also ways to qualify through awards that are not related to winning. Among those awards are the Connect Award, which looks at how teams connect with their communities, and the Inspire Award, which involves the engineering journal and design, as well as community connection.

The local teams have done several fundraisers at the school and the community, Jenks said, and they seek out sponsorships from community organizations. The Robotics team will typically present to any organization from which they are seeking a sponsorship.

Range said the team can also put the logos of businesses or organizations that donate a certain amount on their team shirts, posters on their booths at competitions or even on their actual robots.

This week, Dec. 4-10, is Computer Science Education Week. Jenks said he is working to provide an opportunity for any student to learn about computer science. In conjunction with the week, this Friday is an opportunity for the Hour of Code, which can give students exposure to programming.