Tuesday, February 8, 2022
Media Contact:
Jeff Hopper | Marketing Media Specialist | 405-744-2745 | jeff.hopper@okstate.edu
On Jan. 8, the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology (CEAT) at Oklahoma
State University hosted more than 150 high school students for the 2022 FIRST Robotics
Kickoff announcing the “Rapid React” competition presented by The Boeing Company.
CEAT has a long-standing history with the FIRST robotics program, having hosted kickoff
events since 2008, with the 2013 kickoff holding a record — at the time — for the
largest kickoff representing 43 teams.
The kickoff began with a live webcast from FIRST headquarters checking in with a few
of the 38 countries competing in this year’s competition. The livestream was followed
with teams receiving the official “FIRST kit of parts,” which includes physical and
digital components from industry partners to assist in this year’s challenge.
Teams spent the remainder of the afternoon attending a robot quick build hosted at
OSU ENDEAVOR labs. Teams worked in several different areas with the goal of completing
a controller-driven robot chassis in under four hours. Mentors from local FIRST robotics
competition (FRC) teams led the training sessions.
Jonathan Powers — a CEAT lab coordinator, FIRST mentor and member of the FRC Team 1750 Thunderstorm Robotics
— said the program is all about the hard work teams put in.
“For most teams, it’s what you put into it,” Powers said. “If you have a good group
of students willing to fundraise and get more financial support, you can get more
equipment and build better robots. It really takes a corporate ecosystem to run one
of these teams. So even soft skills and non-engineering majors will get a lot out
of this program.”
Teams will now use the next eight weeks to develop and build a robot to compete in
this year’s game “Rapid React,” which is presented by America’s biggest manufacturer
exporter, The Boeing Company. The robot game will consist of two competing alliances
processing cargo for transportation. Each alliance is responsible for retrieving their
cargo, team colored balls, and scoring it into the hub — a centralized receptacle
designed to house the cargo. The match will conclude with alliance robots racing to
engage with their hangar for transport.
“I like to say the competition is one quarter of the year and it takes the other three
quarters to get the rest of it done,” Powers said. “It’s just like any project or
any research at a university. Putting in the work and improving your skills in order
to stay ahead in your field, or in our case, on the field. FIRST Robotics is more
than just a robot, it’s about building well-rounded students with the tools to solve
real-world problems.”
Regional events for the 2022 FRC season will occur during March and April. OSU and
the OSU Foundation have sponsored the two regional competitions being held in Oklahoma.
The “Oklahoma Regional” will be held March 9-12 at the Firelake Arena Event Center
in Shawnee, and the “Green Country Regional” will be held April 6-9 at the Expo Square
Pavilion in Tulsa.
Powers said being a FIRST robotics mentor has taught him more than just STEM skills
over the years.
“It’s been a learning process throughout the years for me, all the way from being
a high school student and not knowing much about the back end stuff,” Powers said.
“We were the only team in the state, now there’s close to 40 teams. I have spoken
to a lot of schools and learned some public speaking along the way. It’s really done
a lot for me and how far I’ve taken it. It can be anything you need it to be for any
person. There’s people that are openly willing to help you and teach you.
“It’s all about learning and growth. I really enjoy that aspect of it more than anything,
just leaving your ego at the door and learning something.”
People working in any industry can become a part of the FIRST program by judging or
volunteering. Anyone interested in becoming involved in FRC can access the volunteer
registration here: https://www.firstinspires.org/ways-to-help/volunteer/how-to-register?hsCtaTracking=4ed829f0-bfa9-4ba8-ad1a-7e3a471f7471%7C921f31dd-192e-466f-935c-1a284382f43b
Story By:
Bailey Sisk | basisk@ostatemail.okstate.edu
Credit: Source link
