Robot tournament fun - Dubois County Free Press, Inc.

Ethan Wagner (left) and Ian Wilson (right) performed needed modifications to their robot during the FIRST Tech Challenge held at the Vincennes University Jasper Campus Saturday. The two are on the NE Dubois team, Technomages, that also included Aaron Wilson, Justin Young, Kadin Breeding, and Jordan Baker. This was the team's first year competing. — Ethan Wagner (left) and Ian Wilson (right) performed needed modifications to their robot during the FIRST Tech Challenge held at the Vincennes University Jasper Campus Saturday. The two are on the NE Dubois team, Technomages, that also included Aaron Wilson, Justin Young, Kadin Breeding, and Jordan Baker. This was the team’s first year competing.

18 student teams filled the Ruxer Gymnasium at Vincennes University Jasper Campus with their accompanying families as they competed in a robot rumble.

As a First Tech Challenge qualifying tournament, teams from all over the state and one from Ohio converged on the campus to continue to rank in the upcoming tournaments.

Comprised of up to 10 students, teams are required to design and build robots from kits. The robots are designed to perform different tasks for a challenge in the competition. One robot scoops and pushes pieces into specific areas of the ring while the other is designed to traverse a steep incline and attempt to grab a crossbeam at the top.

An all-girls team from Crawfordsville Sr. High School, Rosie the Riveters, attempted to drive their robot up the incline to hang from the crossbeam.

During the competition, different teams are randomly paired to work together in the ring against two other randomly paired teams. When the match begins, the robots perform autonomously for 30 seconds to complete a programmed task. Then, the drivers operate the robots through modified game controllers for the final portions of the match in which they can push objects into their score zones and attempt to traverse the mountain.

They were able to get the robot's grapple to touch the beam and still receive points. — They were able to get the robot’s grapple to touch the beam and still receive points.

Prior to the competition, the teams have to build their robots and although they come from basic kits, the finished robots feature the students’ own ideas for completing the tasks. As those modifications prove successful or ultimately fail, between bouts, students are furiously modifying and testing their robots to improve their performance.

Being as how a large number of points was awarded for what organizers call Gracious Professionalism there is no trash talk and high-fives abounded.

In addition to exposing VUJC to students from across the state, the event helped bring families to the area, many of which stayed overnight.