MORE Robotics is a Division Finalist at the FIRST Robotics World Championship

MORE Robotics is a Division Finalist at the FIRST Robotics World Championship
By Dave Schlidt

On Saturday, April 28, 2012, the Saint Thomas More Community Robotics Club, also known as MORE Robotics, Team #1714, was a division finalist at the FIRST Robotics World Championship in St. Louis, Missouri. The other finalist from their division went on to play the winners of the other three divisions and were the eventual champions.

The FIRST Robotics Competition is an annual competition that helps students discover the rewards and excitement of science, engineering, and technology. More than 58,000 students on 2,300 teams from throughout the United States and twelve other countries competed in the annual event. 400 teams qualified for the World Championship after competing at one or more of the 52 regional competitions held around the world. MORE Robotics competed in the Lake Superior and Wisconsin Regionals. They qualified for the World Championship by winning the Lake Superior Regional. Other honors this season included the Engineering Inspiration and Industrial Design Awards, and individual achievement awards for lead mentor, Michael Wittman, and team captain, Abby Schaefer. The team was also recognized for safety.

In this year’s competition, entitled “Rebound Rumble,” students were given six weeks to design and build a robot capable of picking up compact foam basket balls and scoring as many baskets as possible during the 2 minute and 15 second matches in which alliances of three robots competed against one another. Additional points were scored if the teams were able to balance their robots on a teeter-totter like bridge at the end of the match. Additional points were scored if teams were able to balance more than one robot on the bridge. The robots weigh approximately 150 pounds and can be up to 2 and one-half feet wide by 3 and one-half feet long by 7 feet tall during game play.

MORE Robotics is a community team made up of 21 high school students from Oak Creek High School, St. Thomas More High School, South Milwaukee High School and Whitnall Middle School. Adult mentors and teachers assist students in designing, building, and programming the robot for competition. Student team members are encouraged to excel in the study of science and technology with the hope that they will become the next generation of engineers, technological leaders, and entrepreneurs that will help make our world a better place.

The FIRST Robotics Competition was founded by Dean Kamen in 1992 with the vision "To transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes."

MORE Robotics is supported by local companies and universities. Sponsors include NASA, Hollow Steel, Dedicated Computing, ATI Ladish, Siemens, Quad Tech, Rockwell Automation, MSOE, Vilter, American Acrylics USA LLC, and Saint Thomas More High School. Additional information about MORE Robotics can be found by visiting the team website: www.morerobotics.org.