Every day, one classroom on the first floor of the Lanphier Center is filled with light, conversations, and excitement. This is the Shattuck Robotics Lab, where the members of the Choate Robotics Team energetically build robots and prepare for competitions.
The Choate Robotics Team has a competition number of 6106, and it consists of eight different subgroups: A, B, C, D, E, F, X, and Y. Every team has multiple programmers, builders, one driver, and one coach. Programmers create programs to operate a robot, builders utilize various tools to create the robot, drivers use controllers to practice driving the robot, and coaches comes up with strategies during competitions. Katrina Gonzalez ’17, captain of the Robotics Team, provides advice when there are programming or mechanical issues. Advisers Mr. Kyle Di Tieri and Mr. Andrew Murgio help students make smart decisions in terms of their builds, programs, and design for the overall competition. “Robotics should be student-centered,” Mr. Di Tieri said. “I rarely say what is good and bad; instead, I present obstacles that students might face, and they have to come up with a solution. I care more about the students’ growth than winning.”
The robotics team meets in a variety of ways. There are official meetings every Sunday afternoon, when the entire team comes as a group. However, individual subgroups can have unofficial meetings during the weekdays to make changes to the robot or to practice for competitions. During meetings, members talk about major goals and jobs to successfully carry out the challenges and tasks in the upcoming competitions. Because the winter term is the competition season, the individual subgroup tends to meet more frequently than during fall term.
Robotics practice can be broken up into two types: driving practice and programming practice. In the Lanphier Center basement, there is a practice room for the Robotics Team that simulates the competition field. Different subgroups place their robots on different sides to compete with one another to assess strengths and weaknesses of each robot.
Practice is geared for one purpose: competitions. The general tournament can be broken down into morning and afternoon sessions. The morning sessions are called “qualifiers,” and the afternoon sessions are called “elimination rounds.” Two randomly assigned subgroups of different teams make an alliance against the other two subgroups and complete certain tasks. This year, the task is in a format called “star-struck.” There are field objects, which are stars and cubes, and a fence separating two different alliances. The goal is to get as many field objects as possible to the other alliance’s side in the two-minute match. The first fifteen-second period is called the “autonomous,” in which pre-programmed robots complete some of the tasks without the driver operating them. For the rest of the match, two drivers and one coach collaborate on operating the robot to complete the task.
After the qualifiers, there is alliance selection, in which each subgroup gets to choose another subgroup from another team. After the selection, the elimination rounds begin in a tournament form until one alliance wins the championship.
The Choate Robotics Team sent six robots to compete in the VEX Robotics Southern New England Championship on March 4 and 5 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The team competed against 80 teams from schools including Phillips Andover, Milton Academy, and Williston Northampton. Three of the Choate robots qualified to participate in the elimination round and became quarterfinalists. Among them was team 6106E, mostly comprised of new members. Gonzalez commented, “New Englands showed that the team’s emphasis is on making sure that the new members have the skills to continue robotics next year.” Team 6106A also won the Amaze Award, given to a team with overall outstanding quality in mechanical design, robot programming, and performance.
Due to their performance at New England’s, the Robotics Team has qualified for the VEX World Championships for the second consecutive year. Held in Louisville, Kentucky, on April 19 to 22, the Choate Robotics Team will send one robot and twelve students to compete. More than 500 teams will compete at the championships.
“Although we want to do very well in the World’s Championship, the emphasis should always be on that the members are enjoying their experience and that the team as a whole prepares the members for next year,” Gonzalez commented. “What we don’t want to do is to have the veteran members to take over everything and leave the team next year without any knowledge.”
Elise Hummel ’18, a builder and the coach for 6106A, said, “Putting a lot of hard work into planning and thinking about the robot before building it has made us successful. Although adjustments and practices do determine our performances and successes, the design of the robot ultimately decides whether the robot is good or great.” Chloe Choi ’19, who is a driver that joined robotics this year, feels that the team has supported her as she learns the mechanics:“Everything is new to me, but I’m lucky to be placed in a supportive group with experienced members who are willing to help me drive and build the robots.”
Year after year, the Choate Robotics Team has gained a formidable reputation on campus as a tight-knit and successful group. “It is amazing to see how the team keeps growing year after year.” Mr. Murgio said. “The success of the team comes with the popularity, as it brings many different students on board to work with the robots.”
