Students enter their robot in regional competition

HI TECH FRIENDS—Members of Oak Park High School's robotics club introduce their robot prior to a competition held recently in Van Nuys. Physics and chemistry teacher David Nelson, right, and district science specialist Debby West, left, provided advice and support to the students. It isn't easy building a robot.

That's what members of Oak Park High School's new robotics club are learning.

The group of 10 students met for four months during lunch periods, weekends and holidays to engineer a batteryoperated, remote control robot. The students took their creation to the Vex Robotics Competition at Los Angeles Valley College in Van Nuys earlier this month to compete against robots built by 36 other teams from San Luis Obispo to Orange County.

This year's theme for the annual competition centered on elevation. Using technology and engineering skills, students built the most innovative robot possible, programmed it and learned how to drive it using a remote. At the competition robots had to maneuver up ramps, and pick up foam cubes and deliver them to different goals within a certain time frame.

The Oak Park robot was built to be able to do all of that, said freshman Kyle Gronich. Club members took turns manipulating the robot during the competition.

"It's not just about building but also skill in controlling," said freshman Josh Gutterman.

Some of the teams' robots, like Oak Park's, had claws to pick up blocks, but other teams had equipped their battery-powered robots with vacuums or conveyor belts to move the blocks. Oak Park students competed in several rounds, but a problem with their robot's claw prevented it from advancing against robots from more experienced teams.

This was the club's first competition, and seeing what other teams had built was a learning experience, said junior Chris Ridino.

"The students represented Oak Park well," said Debby West, Oak Park schools science specialist. "They operated in kind of a professional capacity. I've really been impressed by how they've come together as a team. They've really demonstrated perseverance."

Led by juniors Doron Feuer, president, and Jared Brown, vice president, the club formed last year but did not compete until now. It meets several times a week in the classroom of club adviser Dave Nelson, who teaches physics and chemistry.

"We were just figuring out how the program works, getting the hang of using the tools and the parts we have and working together," Feuer said.

Many of the club members, who are interested in engineering, physics, mathematics and design, can pursue those interests through robotics, West said. She is looking into students' request for a robotics class to be offered at Oak Park in the fall.

"The event generated a good amount of excitement among the team members as well as visions of what students and parents see for the future of the club," West said.

Robotics equipment is costly, and financial support would be needed from various sources, such as the school district, parents and the community, to expand the club, Nelson said. Although the competition is over, club members are continuing to meet, disassembling their robot and building other machines using the same equipment.

One robot kit costs about $700. The team used two kits to build their competition robot. The group also needs donations of tools and materials such as duct tape, rubber bands, power strips, extension cords, dremmels and antennas.

"This way they can create some friendly competition among the team," West said.

The robotics program is supported by Friends of Oak Park Schools, a nonprofit education foundation. Haas Automation and Small Manufacturers Institute provided the club's first two robotic kits through a workshop attended by West and Nelson.

The members of the robotics club will begin building a new robot in the summer for next year's competition, West said. It is hoped that a similar program at Medea Creek Middle School will encourage interest among younger students, who will help to continue the high school club, Nelson said.

"The goal is to bring all of the teams to a higher level of learning, make it collaborative and turn science into a sport," West said.