Team works on holiday to make robot deadline

The school has been competing for eight years.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HILE MOST AREA YOUTHS enjoyed a long weekend away from school, Girard High School Robotics Team members worked feverishly to complete their robot in time for competition.
The team, known as the Robocats, needed to complete the robot and ship it to a competition site in Pittsburgh by today.
The Robocats are planning to compete in the annual For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Competition. Robocats will compete in FIRST competitions in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Toronto.
While other students enjoyed the holiday Monday, Robocats members made finishing touches to the robot they hope will take them to victory. Several of them made adjustments to an extending arm that will lift objects in the competition. Others adjusted wiring that affects robot operation. They made final adjustments to what will ultimately be a two-man operating panel for the robot.
Ashraf Hadi, the build team adviser, said the robot would be shipped for competition by the deadline regardless of any last-minute problems. He said the team would work as long as needed to complete the project Monday.
"We will be ready. We will stay here all night if we have to. I don't want to do that, but I will," he said. "For the past six weeks, we have been working Monday through Saturday to get this completed."
Requirements
Hadi said the FIRST competition changes what is expected of the robots every year. This year, he said, teams are required to build a robot that can lift large inflatable rings and slide them onto elevated handles.
The Robocats have built a 3-foot-high robot with an extending arm to complete that task. The remote-controlled robot goes from 3 feet to 8 feet high when the arms are fully extended.
This will be the school's eighth year in competition. The team is hoping to qualify for the national competition this April in Atlanta.
The team's past honors include being the Canadian regional runner-up in 2002; 2004 Buckeye Chairman's Award; and 2005 Spirit Award in Pittsburgh. The team has made playoff rounds the last five years.
jgoodwin@vindy.com