The Iron Mechs, the robotics team in Trenton Catholic Academy Upper School, Hamilton, participated in the FIRST Robotics STEAMWORKS Competition in Hatboro-Horsham Senior High School, Horsham, Pa., March 3-5.
The competition invites “two adventure clubs from an era in which technology relied on steam power to prepare their airships for the ultimate long distance race.”
The Iron Mechs began their build season Jan. 7 and concluded on Feb. 22. During that time the students, along with their mentors from FIRST Robotics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Lockheed Martin, ARSC Federal and Picatinny STEM, had to manufacture and program a robot that had the ability to collect balls and gears, shoot the balls into a receptacle, and lastly, climb a rope.
The team reached the quarterfinals before being eliminated and ranked ninth out of 36 teams from New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
TCA team moderator Mike Knowles could not be more pleased with his team and their success.
“I’m proud of the great success we had on the playing field. I told the team they built a very capable robot and today they were able to demonstrate that. I’m most proud of the fact that everyone came together as a team. Robotics truly is a team sport for the mind,” Knowles said.
The team will next compete at Seneca High School, Tabernacle, March 25.
The mission of FIRST Robotics is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting Mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities, including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.