It’s over for the five Mierlose students Thomas, Jasper, Pepijn, Dirk and Lynn. Their last game with their robot ‘Ballsnijper’ has been driven. They participated in the Benelux final of the First Tech Challenge (FTC) in Breda. A competition especially for technology schools, and not necessarily for students with a self -crafted robot!
Nevertheless, this team belongs to the teams from 12 to 18 years old at Avans Hogeschool in Breda with self -built robots. The challenge? Tick up cubes and hang them in baskets or on a rack – and that within 2.5 minutes. The robot had to operate independently for the first thirty seconds, but that refused ‘the ball pegs’. After that, the team members can drive him, luckily that went well. Unfortunately they did not win prizes.
Text continues under the photo.
Pleasant and tense
Each team received its own room to fine tune their robot and promote itself with posters. There they also gave the jury a presentation and answered difficult questions about the robot. The playing fields were in the large auditorium, with a grandstand full of enthusiastic audiences. There was shouting and clapping during the competitions.
The geniality among the young participants was striking. “Everyone speaks English, often somewhat bumbling, but nobody laughs at each other. Everyone can just be themselves here, ”says Inge van de Waterbeemd, mother of a participant. “You see young people with piercings or brightly colored hair and a strong shared passion for technology.”
Working together to win
The special thing about this competition is that it’s not only about winning, but also about collaboration. Teams always form couples and compete two against two. One team is better in cubes hanging on the posts, the other robot throws them in the baskets with more ease. “It’s nice to see how they consult with each other in advance: how can we get the best score together?” tells Inge.
Building a good robot is not enough: teams also give a presentation about the construction process and have to show how they inspired others. “It is also about how you transfer knowledge,” explains Inge. For example, the team helps with the LEGO League, the competition for children between eight and twelve years old. “Our team is one of the youngest, they don’t have as much budget and experience as some other builders, but they have fought like lions.”
New materials
The students are disappointed that they have not been able to win a price. The competition is very strong and the team won only two of the five games on the mat. Yet the team had hoped not to go home empty -handed. “The performance on the mat is not all -determining, there are also prizes for Outreach, for which they had put their hope.”
Their robot is largely made from recycled materials. “We use parts that have been around for three years. I have seen robots that can really do everything – super fast, super conducts, “says Inge. When the disappointment is processed, the young people are preparing for the following season “We hope for sponsors, so that they too can buy new materials, so that the robot will perform even better.”