COUNCIL BLUFFS — Robots took over at Iowa Western Community College on Saturday.
No, not the giant kind seen in science-fiction movies, but little guys created by junior and senior high schoolers who took part in a robotics competition at Kanesville Arena. The event was hosted by the school and Techna PWN Robotics, a local team.
"The robots are designed to pick up balls and barrels and put them in little circular goals," said Doug Tweedt, who oversees the Council Bluffs squad. "The more points, the better."
Approximately 42 teams, mostly from Omaha, took part. The VEX Robotics Competition also featured teams from Sioux Falls, S.D., and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The parts are purchased, but the students put the robots together from scratch, Tweedt said.
"You can build it in a month or a year," said Nathaniel Bunch, one of Tweedt's players.
But there's more to it than just moving a robot around by remote control to score points, Tweedt said. Students learn important lessons.
"It teaches them teamwork and cooperation, problem solving, the design process," he said.
During part of the competition, the robots move on their own by obeying programs created by the students.
During the finals, the higher-ranked teams select two other squads to form an alliance in competing against similar squads.
Selecting other squads isn't based only on won-lost records, but the need to find a particular robot that may be helpful, Tweedt said. This teaches good observation skills.
Players wanting to be chosen for the higher-ranked alliances must know how to promote themselves by utilizing salesmanship skills.
Tweedt's squad was made up of home-schooled students.
The object of Saturday's competition was to get as many balls and barrels as possible into the circular goals over a three-minute period. Some goals were 30 inches high, demanding a longer reach by the robots. Students could also use robots to block opponents from scoring.
"It's stressful, it's competitive," said Bunch, 17, a junior. "It's great fun."
The students seemed perfectly suited for this event.
"I've worked with computers since I was 6 years old," said junior Josiah Krutz, 17.
Said Bunch: "I've been taking things apart and putting them back together all my life."
The Excellence Award for the overall top robot went to Grammatically Uncorrect from Omaha Skutt Catholic High School.
Best Design Award went to Mega Factor from Omaha Westside High, and the Sportsmanship Award went to Sleepless Knights from Omaha Mount Michael High.
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