Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Hot Stuff: Last week's balmy weather did not deter these Western Regional Robotics Competition champions from wearing their spiffy new letter jackets.
Broadway 'bot champs head to Florida to compete with nation's top Robokids
Broadway's Western Regional champions anticipate robobattles on a national scale
By Jessica Lyons
The limo is still on Broadway Avenue when sophomore Eddie Corona spots it. "Mr. Morrella, is that our ride?" the 16-year-old asks, incredulous, as the limo slowly pulls into the parking lot to pick up the eight Broadway High Robotics champs. The team--clad in matching blue-and-white Broadway Robotics letter jackets--is expecting a van to take them to the airport. The white stretch limousine is a surprise.
"That's the van?" Eddie asks again, before breaking into a sing-song chant: "We got a limo, we got a limo."
In February, Eddie and Bay Bomber teammates captured first place in the Western Regional FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition. Now it's off to Orlando, Fla. to compete in the national robot games.
Cypress Semiconductor Corporation is sponsoring the team, fronting the money for airfare, hotel accommodations, and the letter jackets--as well as passes to Walt Disney World and EPCOT Center.
"I get a window seat," sophomore Marisol Urias, 18, yells, as all eight students--Corona, Urias, Steven Lugo, Sarah Thornhill, RosaMaria Ramirez, Teddy Herrera, Isaac Fimbrez and Jamie Robles--pile into the limo. As soon as they are inside, the radio starts playing, the sun roof slides open and sophomore Isaac Fimbrez sticks his head and arms out the roof, waving and blowing kisses to the crowd of teachers, parents and other students.
Thirty teams from high schools and colleges in California, Arizona, Colorado and Texas battled it out in the Western Regional competition held at NASA Ames' Hangar 1 last month. The Bay Bombers and robot Blitz--competing in their first-ever robots competition--walked away with first place.
Each team received a pre-packed equipment kit, and had six weeks to build a remote-controlled robot to perform certain tasks.
At the nationals, held April 22 to 24, the robots will have the same goal as in the regionals: first, they must be programmed to catch "floppies"--large, shiny, pillows--that the students throw. Then, while carrying the floppies, the robots must latch onto a metal pole attached to a large disk. For extra points, the robots can pull the disk across the ring and lift themselves up onto the disk.
But the competition will be more steep in Orlando. Instead of battling 30 other teams, Blitz and the Bay Bombers will be competing against 230.
"I have a lot of anticipation about the competition," says 17-year-old Sarah, a junior. "I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high."
Sixteen teams will make the finals, which will be broadcast by ESPN. The Broadway team, however, is not going into the arena with any expectations.
"The kids already accomplished more than anybody expected them to," Coach Jason Morrella says. "The main thing for them is to go and see what the other kids have done and have a good time. We just want the robot to work the whole time, and whatever happens, happens."
Morrella, along with Jamie Robles, attended the Florida competition last year. After winning the NASA-sponsored "botball" tourney two years earlier, NASA sent the three to Florida to watch the national robot games.
"It was pretty exciting," Jamie says, "All the teams, how everyone was cheering for each other. Yeah, we knew we'd be there this year," he says with mock confidence. "Our robot's top notch--it's the very best."
But for some of his teammates, the chance to actually compete in the national games came as more of a surprise.
"I never thought this would happen," Eddie says. "I always wanted to know how robots worked, I wanted to build one, so I joined the team. My parents are really proud of me. I'm really into school right now, I'm getting good grades. This might even help me get a scholarship. I never even thought I would get out of the state."
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
