Team 2×4 makes it four in a row
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SUBMITTED PHOTO The Gazette
Team 2×4 a successful robot run. From left: Mason Williams, Tim Walton, Bethany Walton, Coach Kent Walton, Evan Schneider, Halee Williams, Coach Heather Schneider, Isaac Bentley (in the photo being held), and student mentor Kelby Schneider celebrate.
Waukesha North High School was the site of this year’s FIRST LEGO League Wisconsin State Championship. Team 2×4, a local FIRST LEGO League robotics team with students from Durand and Loves Park as well as Clinton and Beloit, Wis., arrived for the day well prepared, but down a team member due to the flu. They were excited to have proven themselves to be one of the top 28 teams (out of 400) in Wisconsin, but they had a bigger goal.
“At the beginning of the season we set a goal to earn another trip to an international tournament, our fourth in a row, which no team has done before,” shared Evan Schneider, of Clinton. The competition in Wisconsin is strong, so everything from judging to the way the robot performs has to go well in order to finish at the top of the state.
All FIRST LEGO League teams are judged in a 30-minute judging session, which includes prepared presentations on the Innovation Project and the Robot Design. The team then answers a lot of questions from the judges. While the technical skills are important, FLL is also about developing confidence in young people. Halee Williams, of Beloit, said, “I have overcome my fear of talking in front of judges.”
Team 2×4 took on the problem of retrieving ghost nets from the ocean for their Innovation Project. They did a lot of research and met with many experts throughout the year. “Meeting with Katie McWilliams of GhostNetUSA.org was a great moment,” Mason Williams, of Beloit, shared.
The team is currently improving their Ghost Grappler prototype with the help of the GhostNet divers and with the hope that it could be useful to divers in the future. Contacting experts and preparing the presentation for judging takes a lot of work. Isaac Bently of Loves Park commented, “I’m really proud of my emails, my work on the scripts, and the animation I did to show judges how the Ghost Grappler works.”
In Robot Design judging, the team explained all the physics and forces they used to design an effective robot that could autonomously solve 12 LEGO missions in 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Team 2×4 developed a quick-change attachment system that allows them to spend less than 2 seconds changing the attachment, allowing their robot more time to solve missions on the board. Their coach, Kent Walton, challenged the team to step up their programming by learning a new language between sectionals and state. Tim Walton says, “I’ve learned how to code in Python, which is good for me to learn now because it will open up more job opportunities in the real world.”
The judges were impressed that the entire team started learning a new coding language mid-season.
The robot had an up and down day on the competition mat. The best score they had was 315, just short of their season high 320, placing 11th in that portion of the competition. The team also competed in a fun alliance-style match, pairing with the Webster Wolverines. As the alliance matches ended, everyone took their places for the awards ceremony.
The team was thrilled during the awards ceremony when their coach, Heather Schneider, was awarded one of two Coach of the Year trophies. Team 2×4 and her family surprised her with LEGO flowers to celebrate her seven years of coaching. The team was even more excited a few minutes later when they won the first place Core Values Award. This award is given to a team that does everything in the program to a high level, and does so well expressing the FIRST Core Values such as teamwork, innovation, impact, and fun.
When advancement rankings were announced Team 2×4 was hopeful they would be on the list and they were not disappointed! They finished tied for fourth place. They are now going to be Wisconsin’s first team to ever attend the Florida Sunshine Invitational (FSI) in Daytona Beach, Fla., in late June. This tournament will feature 96 teams from 24 different countries and 44 states. Bethany Walton, of Durand, said, “I’m excited to go to Florida to meet new friends from around the world.”
Team 2×4 has commenced fundraising for their trip to FSI. The team is looking to raise $9,000 to cover expenses including registration, event costs, transportation, and lodging during the five-day tournament. They are currently selling Decatur Dairy Cheese for $8 per block or bag of curds. Contact any team member or call 608-676-7329 to order; delivery is early March. You can make donations to their team through PayPal, or checks can be mailed to Stateline Homeschool Robotics, PO Box 126, Clinton, WI 53525. Anyone donating $100 or more will have their name printed on the team banner and company logos can be put on the banner (in different sizes) for donations of $250-$1,000 or more.
About FIRST
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology” (FIRST) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, New Hampshire, FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering.
With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $80 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition for students in grades 9-12; FIRST Tech Challenge for grades 7-12; and FIRST LEGO League for pre-K through eighth grade (ages 4-16; ages vary by country). “Gracious Professionalism” is their way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community.
To learn more about FIRST, go to www.firstinspires.org.