In-person VEX robotics competition happened for the first time since January 2019 this past weekend at Sault College.
Following the ADSB VEX Robotics Challenge Slapshot, five Algoma region teams will take part in robotics competitions in Brampton later this month.
Teams from Blind River Public School, Boreal French Immersion and Thessalon Public School will compete for a spot at the upcoming Ontario Provincial Championships in Niagara Falls on March 5.
Full text of a news release issued by the Algoma District School Board follows:
After waiting since January 2019, local elementary robotics teams finally had the opportunity to return to competition this past Saturday. Schools from Blind River, Echo Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Thessalon were represented by 18 teams consisting of over 60 students. Teams showed off their driving and programming skills as they competed in the ADSB VEX Robotics Challenge Slapshot at Sault College.
Students, ranging from Grades 3 to 8, had been working for up to four months building, testing and coding their robot designs as they looked for unique solutions to compete in the challenge. They created mechanisms to lift and push levers, spin wheels and shoot discs into the goal zone. At the event they partnered with various teams to participate in 2-on-0 matches, planning and strategizing with partner teams to score as many points as possible in one minute. Teams were also tasked with participating in solo challenges testing their driving skills and autonomous robot programming skills, and were judged by volunteers on a number of categories.
Creativity and collaboration were on display at the event, as head referee Matt Caputo noted he is excited to see the creative solutions the students come up with.
“When preparing for the event and learning about the new rules, I find myself thinking about possible design ideas and strategies. And yet without fail, every year, I watch some of these elementary students come up with incredibly creative and brilliant ideas and I wonder ‘How didn't I think of that?’ I love seeing the kids get excited, and the parents and teachers cheering on the students in a forum that a lot of these kids may not typically see. Also, at the elementary level, the camaraderie between the schools is always a delight to see.”
The students showed a remarkable level of resilience and sportsmanship throughout the event, highlighted in the playoffs when a team preparing for their playoffs found their robot driving itself off a table and sustaining significant damage just before their match.
As Matt Caputo put it, “It was one of the most impressive moments I have ever seen in my years participating in this event – the students rebuilding the robot, essentially from scratch, in roughly six minutes. It really showed that they understood their robot, the design, and the process, and they did it all themselves without panicking or having a melt down. I don't know if I could have been so calm. It was doubly impressive when that team went on to win the playoffs.”
He was also impressed with the other teams that allowed them time for repair, “To them, it was a no-brainer, and they agreed to give the other team more time to fix it. They were direct competitors at that point, and the sportsmanship that showed, required a level of maturity that surprised me for elementary school students.”
The event finished with teams from Boreal FI (C team) and Thessalon PS (B team) taking top honours with the Excellence Awards, having demonstrated overall excellence in all components of the competition.
With a performance that saw them achieve the day’s high score of 67 points, the Teamwork Challenge Championship went to the alliance of Blind River PS (team A) and Boreal FI (C team).
With the highest combined score in individual driver and programming skills challenges, the Robot Skills Champion was Blind River PS (team A).
The judging awards went to Boreal FI (team C) - Amaze Award; Boreal FI (team B) - Build Award; Echo Bay PS (team B) - Create Award; Thessalon PS (team B) - Design Award; and Tarentorus PS (team A) - Judges’ Award.
Blind River PS (team A), Boreal FI (team A), Boreal FI (team B), Boreal FI (team C) and Thessalon PS (team B) will move on to a robotics competition in Brampton on Jan. 27 as they look for a spot at the Ontario Provincial Championships.
The ADSB VEX Robotics Challenge Slapshot was made possible by support from Tenaris, Sault College, Algoma District School Board, all long-time supporters of robotics in Algoma. If you or your child is interested in becoming involved with the local robotics program, speak with your school principal or contact Mark Carlucci at [email protected].