GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ (April 13, 2015) Camden County Technical Schools (CCTS) FIRST Robotics Team #203 (One TUFF Team) took first place in the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships held April 10-11 at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. Team #203 was partnered with two alliance teams, Team #316 from Carney s Point, NJ (The LuNaTeCs), and Team #225 from York, PA (Tech Fire), to capture the first place win. The CCTS Robotics Team #203 earned a bid to the FIRST Robotics Mid Atlantic Regional Championship at Lehigh University as a result of their outstanding performance throughout the competition season. This competition combines schools from NJ, DE, and parts of NY and PA. Team #203 previously participated in the Lenape District and Chestnut Hill Robotics Competitions in March. The next step for Team #203 is the FIRST Robotics World Championships in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 22-25. The FIRST Championship brings together three separate robotics competitions: the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship, the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship, and the FIRST LEGO League World Festival. "It is a great pleasure to work with such a talented, intelligent, dedicated and amazing group of students," said one of the coaches, Tony DePrince. The other coaches, Andy McAlpin, John Kammler and Alan Norton, are equally proud. Thank you to all of our sponsors, volunteers, parents, families, and staff members, who have supported us this season. Our robot competed against the top 55 teams in the region. This competition unfolded as a sort of a Cinderella Story for our team. Early on in the three day competition, we struggled, even scoring a zero in the first match, said Coach Andy McAplin. However, our team, particularly the driving and pit crews, pulled off an amazing comeback, positioning themselves in 17 th place at the end of qualification rounds. Other teams took notice, and we were selected as part of the #1 seeded alliance. NOTE: Six robots compete in each match. A team of three robots forms the red alliance, and a team of three robots forms the blue alliance. When all of the matches are complete, the top eight teams select other robots to join their alliance team to compete in the quarter finals, semi finals, and finals. The comeback story continued through the quarter finals in a nail biter second match. In match one, our alliance team scored an 88, which is not a high achieving score. A typical score is about 140 points in most matches, explained DePrince. In the second match, our alliance team needed a minimum score of 200 to advance to the semi 1
finals. At the end of the two and half minute, second quarter finals match, the robots pulled through scoring a record breaking 212 points! During the semi-final and final rounds, our alliance soared through the matches maintaining a very high average score. We finished as the FIRST Mid-Atlantic Robotics Regional Champions, noted Kammler. In fact, our alliance and team are the first in the history of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships to pull off a shutout by defeating their competition in the finals in the first two of the three matches of the final round! Since the FIRST team began at CCTS in 1998, the Campbell Soup Company has been their major sponsor and supplier of engineering support. In addition to the donations received from the Campbell Soup Foundation, Team #203 also receives funds raised by their Parent Booster Club and several other local businesses. More than $30,000 a year needs to be raised each year to cover the cost of the entry fees, the travel arrangements and other costs associated with building and maintaining the robot, said McAlpin. Engineers are also needed to volunteer their time to mentor the students. FIRST launched the 2015 season on January 3 with the kickoff of a new robotics game called RECYCLE RUSH SM before a crowd of more than 800 people at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, NH. Nearly 75,000 high-school students on approximately 3,000 teams at 107 venues around the globe joined the 2015 Kickoff via live Comcast NBC Universal broadcast. This year, there were 56 Regional events, 48 Qualifying District Competitions and five Qualifying Championships. This will all culminate at the World Championship in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 22-25. FIRST was founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. Kamen is an inventor, entrepreneur, and tireless advocate for science and technology. His passion and determination to help young people discover the excitement and rewards of science and technology are the cornerstones of FIRST. Based in Manchester, NH, the 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit public charity designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, while building selfconfidence, knowledge, and life skills. Robots must be built in six weeks from a common kit of parts provided by FIRST and typically weigh approximately 120 lbs. Each team is also permitted to purchase items to build their robot from a specific catalog within a pre-described budget. FIRST is more than robots. The robots are a vehicle for students to learn important life skills, said Dean Kamen, president of DEKA Research and Development and FIRST 2
Founder. Kids often come in not knowing what to expect of the program nor of themselves. They leave, even after the first season, with a vision, with confidence, and with a sense that they can create their own future. Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership, said Kamen. The 2015 game is Recycle Rush. It is a recycling-themed game played by two Alliances of three robots each. Robots score points by stacking totes on scoring platforms, capping those stacks with recycling containers, and properly disposing of pool noodles that represents litter. In keeping with the recycling theme of the game, all game pieces used are reusable or recyclable by teams in their home locations or by FIRST at the end of the season. FIRST is considered a varsity Sport for the Mind TM, and combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of 25 students or more are challenged to raise funds, design a team "brand," hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. According to Alan Norton, Pre-Engineering teacher at CCTS and one of the coaches for Team #203, This competition is as close to real-world engineering as students can get. They are mentored by professional engineers, learn and use sophisticated software and hardware, work as a team, and ultimately compete and cooperate in alliances and tournaments. Throughout the competition season, students use their knowledge of math and science principles, along with problem solving techniques, to design and optimize a machine to perform the task at hand. Students conduct research, create technical drawings using CAD software, fabricate and repair robotic parts, program movement and automated functions using sensors, and test designs during the creation of the robot, added Norton. Completing this task in the short time frame allowed by FIRST not only gives students practical knowledge and experience of various engineering principles, but also gives students the skill of planning a project and meeting strict deadlines, which is important in any job they go into. There are more than 50 students on Team 203 from CCTS from various career programs. We work almost every school day and weekend from January through April on the robot and fundraise year round, said DePrince. It s not just about building a robot, he added. It s a collective effort of many talents and volunteers. We have to design and print our team shirts and banners; organize our schedules and enter competitions; arrange transportation; write and develop safety lessons, write and develop a business plan, etc. 3
Below is a recap of Team 203 s (Camden County Technical Schools and Campbell Soup Company) journey and the awards won in 2015: Chestnut Hill District Competition Recap (March 12-14, 2015) Team 203 was ranked second out of 34 teams competing in the Chestnut Hill District Competition earning them the title of second seed alliance captain. In this position, they were able to choose two other teams to compete with during the quarter finals. Team 203 did very well competing through the semi-finals finishing as the third place alliance. In addition to the success of the robot, Team 203 was awarded the Chrysler Team Spirit Award. This award celebrates extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit through exceptional partnership and teamwork furthering the objectives of FIRST. Team 203 has won this award the past three years. Team 203 was also recognized by the Underwriter Laboratories for being Number One in Pit Safety, an award they also won in 2014. Because of their outstanding performance at this competition, the performance of the robot, and the awards they have won, Team 203 left the competition Ranked 20 out of 121 FIRST Robotics Teams in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The success we had this past weekend is not only as a result of the hard work of the over 60 students on the team, but that of our volunteers, our family boosters organization and everyone involved. Their performance and outstanding representation of our school and the diverse backgrounds of our population and what our students are capable of, said DePrince. This was highly favorable to the judges, our peers who coach for other teams, and the other students who were there competing many times throughout the competition. Lenape District Competition at Seneca Recap (March 20-22, 2015) Team 203 finished the competition ranked fourth out of 38 teams in the qualifying matches earning us the title of third seed alliance captain. In this position, they were able to choose two other teams to compete with in the quarter-finals. Our robot did very well competing through the quarter-finals finishing as the fifth place alliance. During the Lenape competition, Team 203 won the Entrepreneurship Award sponsored by Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, and Byers. This award celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit by recognizing a team that has developed the framework for a comprehensive business plan to scope, manage, and achieve team objectives. This business plan was developed by a committee of our team members lead by senior Yazmeen Rocha and junior Brittany DeJesus, both in the Information Technology 4
Academy. The judges stated they were very impressed with their presentation and the comprehensive nature of our plan. Team 203 s Safety Captain, sophomore Lorena Rocha in the Medical Arts Academy, was recognized as a Safety Star by Underwriter Laboratories for her well-developed safety and hazard mitigation plans. At the conclusion of Lenape competition, combined with our performance at Chestnut Hill, we were ranked sixth in the Mid-Atlantic Region out of 120 Robotics Teams. This impressive ranking entitled them to a spot to compete at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Robotics Championships at Lehigh University. 5