Red Oak Robotics team finishes 3rd in San Antonio Regional Event

Photo courtesy Red Oak ISD.

RED OAK — In early March, the Red Oak Robotics team competed at the San Antonio Regional Event where the team competed against 70 teams. Red Oak made the finals and walked away with the 3rd seed, but unfortunately lost in the finals.

The competition involved building a robot using engineering design, industrial techniques of construction, part making, CAD drawing with industrial programs and programming with industrially used programs. The robot is then pitted against several others on a field of play in 3-minute matches, changing alliances with partners for each match. The competition is fierce with teams from NASA, China, Israel, and more.

The Red Oak robot this year was extremely versatile. This allowed the team to adjust to the needs of each match. The robot was constructed with a lift that tilts and an interchangeable gripper. It has pneumatics, electronics, mechanical, video and wireless systems. It also has sonar, limit switches, and LED's.

In addition to competing, this year the team started a FIRST Lego League at the Junior High, hosted a "Build Your Own Robot" for 3rd through 6th graders, made new engineering and corporate connections, started talks with the Dominican Republic and Lebanon, started recycling ventures, and more.

Robotics coach, Bryan Rogers, says, "The students did an amazing job, and have taken ownership of the team in all areas. I have had the privilege to see what they can accomplish and it gives me great confidence to know they have a bright future."