By Kristy Deer and Ben Middelkamp
HANCOCK COUNTY — When they were freshmen, members of the Dragon robotics team from New Palestine High School accidentally blew up a few motors as they tried to perfect a robot they were building. As seniors, they’ve learned from past mistakes and are headed to the Vex Robotics State Championships Saturday.
The five-student robotics squad is one of 15 Hancock County teams going to the day-long competition this weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium. It will join three teams from Greenfield-Central High School; one other team from New Palestine High School; two teams from New Palestine Intermediate School; two teams from New Palestine Junior High School; two teams from Montessori Science Academy; two teams from Geist Montessori Academy; and two home-schooled student teams from Cornerstone Robotics.
The event is being sponsored by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, with top teams moving on to the Vex Worlds Robotic Competition in Louisville, Kentucky, in late April.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryThe Dragon senior team made it to state last year as juniors but fell short of qualifying for the Worlds competition. This year, the students have a good feeling about their chances.
“This is just a platform to use your skills and really hone them in to prove yourself,” said Tyler Newcomb, the team’s robotic designer.
At the beginning of the robotic competition season, all Vex robotics teams are tasked with the same project using their handmade robots. The goal is to try to improve with each competition.
This year’s game, dubbed “Turning Point,” asks teams to manipulate a series of objects in a room-size arena “pit” using their robots’ arms. The students drive the robots around the pit and score points based on how adeptly they handle the objects. Meanwhile, an opposing team is doing the same thing, and the scoring can become a race against the clock as well as the other robots. Any number of things can go wrong, from batteries dying to gears falling off, so the competition is intense.
Two of Greenfield-Central High School’s teams, both called Vex Me, are ranked third and fourth in the state. The school has five robotics teams and 21 members, said club sponsor Julie Stoeffler. G-C first started its robotics team in 2003, and it’s been growing ever since, club sponsor Nick Kerkhof added.
Senior Steven Bass, 17, programs his team’s robot. He’s been working on setting up a vision sensor and camera on the robot in anticipating of Saturday. Bass, who plans to pursue computer science in college, said he enjoys seeing his “logic come to life,” transferring from the computer to the robot.
One of Bass’s teammates, junior Adam Hughes, is the team designer. The 16-year-old keeps log of his robot designs in a notebook similar to career engineers, he said.
Caleb Stoeffler, 16, has been building robots at G-C since seventh grade. Since his last competition, Stoeffler has worked to tweak the structural support of the robot, ensuring no gears fall off. The junior student first become interested in robotics as a 9-year-old in elementary school, he said.
G-C’s two high-ranked state teams are also ranked eighth and 30th in the world, Julie Stoeffler said, adding she’s enjoyed seeing students find their niche and get involved in an after-school club.
“It all starts as a pile of metal,” she said, referring to the robots.
State participants will go through qualifying rounds where they’ll try to show off their best skills, New Palestine robot team driver Cameron Rooks said. After those rounds, the big robotic battles start. That’s when they’ll team up with another squad to try and earn a spot to the Worlds competition.
Through the robotics club, Trevor Darley, a Dragon team member, has created an app and website to help his team find the best competition at state so they can reach their ultimate goal.
“I’m the scout,” Darley proudly said. “The website will allow my team members to see my notes and competitive advice.”
Similar to other students, Darley is hoping to apply the skills he’s learned through the robotics club to his future college computer science education.
Dave Post, NPHS engineering teacher, is thrilled his senior team’s work throughout the years is paying off and has given the squad a shot at the Worlds competition. The students work for hours after school, in the summer and during holidays, he said, and they deserve to be rewarded.
Post is hopeful one day robotics competitions will become an official Indiana High School Athletic Association-sanctioned event to honor participants who work hard and take part in the competition.
This article includes updated information on two additional teams heading to the state competition.
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Teams heading to state Vex Robotics State Championship this weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium:
New Palestine High School
Dragon 1, seniors: Tyler Newcomb, Evan Shaw, Logan Weaver, Cameron Rooks, Trevor Darley
Dragon 2, juniors: Josh Weber, Dylan Strubbe, Josh Shinkle, Mitch Stiller, Steven Thompson, Gabe Blye
New Palestine Junior High School
Big Brains, eighth grade: Noah Maple, Elizabeth Dodd, Donnie Trainor, Lillie Poag, Brendan Tanksley.
NPJH Engineers, seventh grade: Oliver Bindewald, Dylan Moody, Bradon Newcomb, Noah Dropsey.
New Palestine Intermediate School
The Tech Turtles: Jake Cooper, Jace Sutton, Tyler Wilson, Chase Shinkle
The A Team: Kendall Steele, Brady Torzewski, Andrew Hahn, Jackson Kamp
The Montessori Science Academy
Middle school: Zane Wheatley, Avarie Hinton, Yvan Wheatley, Hunter Lehman, Noa Burns, Abril Weller
Elementary school: Kendan Lehman, Leyton Hinton, Jayden Abraham, Castiella Wheatley, Lizzy Burns, Brody Waterman, Callie Prows, Sara Weller
Greenfield-Central High School
Vex Me, 1115A: Adam Hughes, Steven Bass, Grayson Bishop, Christian Voigt, Luke Muckerheide
Vex Me, 1115B: Caleb Stoeffler, Elaine Hilton, Dylan Wyman, Austin Robinson
Vex Me, 1115D: Avery Frye, John Hill, Lucas Horsman, Bryce Phenis, Braden Smith, Hayden Campbell
Geist Montessori Academy
TechnoBeasts: Caleigh Johnson, Callum Robb, Ellen Lovold, Esther Marinho, Alicia Terry, Andy Beck
TechnoSquad: Eliza Sweeney, Adrianna Terry, Isak Thorne, Caleb Lewis, Molly Kwok, Brian Beck
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What: Vex Robotics State Championship
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium
When: Saturday. Doors open at 9 a.m.; robot matches start at 10:30 a.m.
Admission: Free
What’s at stake: This is one of the largest state robotics competitions in the country, featuring teams from high schools, middle schools and elementary schools. Winners earn a berth in the World Championship in April in Louisville, Kentucky.
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