Robocats get ready to roll

February 19, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

By LINDA M. LINONIS

girard

The Robocats are revved up.

The Girard High School robotics team is fine- tuning its entry in the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) robotics competition, scheduled March 31 to April 2 in Knoxville, Tenn.

Though the project began during the first week of January, the last few days “tweak” any problems, said Ashraf Hadi, technology-education teacher and Robocats’ building adviser. Students spent Friday at GHS working on the robot and will be there today, Sunday and Monday. The robot must be shipped to Knoxville on Tuesday.

“We have about six weeks to design, build and program the robot,” Hadi said.

Robocats has about 35 participants from ninth through 12th grades. About half the group works on the robot; the other half does public relations.

Every robotics team starts out with the same kit, which costs $6,000. The kit has various parts and electrical components, Hadi said, adding that every team gets the same kit so “it levels the playing field.” The robotics team builds the robot to have good maneuverability, a working arm and computer programming to execute commands.

Hadi said this year’s robotic game is “Logomotion,” which is based on the FIRST logo of a triangle, circle and square. The objective on the 27-foot-wide and 54-foot-long field of play is for the robot to place a rubber tube version of each shape on a rack. “You get bonus points for the right order,” Hadi said.

The cool part of the robot is its wheels, which give it forward and backward motion, along with being able to slide from side to side.

“If kids have an interest in science and technology, this gives them real-life applications,” Hadi said. “This is where they get to use physics, science, computer skills in a hands-on way.”

Judy Barber, English and social studies teacher, supervises the public-relations part of the robotics competition. These students post on the website, www.girardrobotics.com, make posters and informational kits on the team for judges and other teams, create an informational video on the team, develop presentations on the project to present to community organizations and make travel arrangements.

The PR team is planning a fundraising steak dinner from 4 to 8 p.m. March 26 at the Italian Fraternal Home, 33 Wilson Ave. That’s just one of many events sponsored to raise money for travel expenses for the team.

Barber said the building and PR aspects of the robotics team give members “real-life challenges and deadlines and management of resources.”

Members of Northeast Ohio FIRST Robotic Alliance are Austintown Fitch, Champion, Chaney, Girard and Warren G. Harding high schools. “We help one another by sharing skills and resources,” Barber said. She said Girard’s major supporters are Millwood Industries, Interstate Shredding and General Motors Lordstown, which have donated money and materials.

Fine-tuning the computer programming are juniors Jordan Cole, 17, and Jalen Harvey, 16, and senior Sabastian Wagner, 18. Jordan said robotics has “made me more open to other ideas” while Jalen said it has helped him “think fast and come up with multiple solutions to a problem.” Sabastian said robotics work has helped him in math.

PR team members, sophomore Cori Petrozzino, 16, and freshman Carissa Page, 16, said they’ve learned about making presentations, which has benefited their schoolwork. “I’ve learned about teamwork,” Cori said.