GHS ROBOTICS TEAM OUT TO SAVE WORLD IN BARRIE THIS WEEKEND

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

GRAVENHURST — A stellar team of GHS robotics students are in Barrie this weekend, game to help defend against an asteroid shower that is threatening their high tech teen.

GryphTech Robotics 6864 members have built their ultimate weapon for the FIRST Robotics competition in this year’s game, “Infinite Recharge.”

An asteroid shower is aimed at “FIRST City” and teams of “planetary citizens” using droids must collect and store power cells to recharge the defence shield, while traversing an obstacle course.

They’ve been working on it since January, with a new robot, “GSF-1,” to replace last year’s “Hal.”

They expect it to be fully functional as 16 team members travel south to go up against some 30 teams at Georgian College Friday to Sunday.

Parents and the public got a sneak peek recently the Gravenhurst High School laboratories, where some of the more than two dozen robokids were feverishly re-designing and working out some last-minute kinks on their micro-electronic creation.

The goal is to build a robot that can collect power cell balls and “cross the city” to deposit them into power points to generate the defence shield.

Each successful transport and shot adds to a points total to win the game.

It takes a lot of work to compete, even in their third year and after combined win last year with another school.

The rules for the 2020 FIRST Robotics regional games were only announced at the start of the new year, when students in the school club learned what their challenge would be.

And it’s taken a lot of money, too.

School robotics teacher Iggy Van Kooten says assembling parts for the robot cost thousands of dollars, even taking into account they design and build some on their own.

One piece with 10 wheels to take up the ball cost $500. Then there are 12 motors this year that are twice as powerful as the eight they used at the 2019 games.

They have budgeted $5,000 to build the new robot.

Lucky for them, they’ve raised half this year’s goal of $29,000, which includes accommodation for students who could also advance to North Bay March 28-29 for the regionals, and then the GTA provincials. The worlds are in Detroit.

And with a little left in the kitty from last year, they should be OK.

This year’s gold sponsors are the Gravenhurst Rotary Club and Ontario Power Generation.

Van Kooten said the students, most of who take the new school robotics course, learn game and design strategies through the competition, as well as receiving practical and theoretical training in a fun way.

“It’s about learning from the best and investing the rest.”

“I’m so proud of them,” said former student and team co-captain Graeme McNeice.

He was at the drop-in with his twin brother, Chris, who was also a team member when the club started three years ago.

They’ve since gone on to university at Carleton and at the University of Ottawa in related fields of study thanks in part to their GHS robotics training, said their dad, Gord.

Graeme is in industrial design and Chris is computer science.

Amanda and Chad Greavette, of Kilworthy, were there to see what their son Axel, 15, is so excited about.

He’s one of the programmers on the project.

He’s in Grade 10 and Sierra Thompson, 16, is in Grade 11. They do coding of data that makes the motors do what they do to move and score.

Amanda said her son has always tinkered with electronics and programming and was a member of the K.P. Manson Public School robotics club as well.

“He likes to make things do things,” she said.

Van Kooten says the team’s goal is to collect the power balls, complete the course and score in four consecutive 45-second laps of the course.

The GryphTech Robotics team will sign in Friday for its safety and rule inspection.

Competition begins Saturday.

See open house photos, a video into by co-captains Tyler Sheppard and Hayden Foley, and a cool FIRST Robotics competition video below.

Co-captain Haydon Foley, left, shows former team members Chris and Graeme McNeice this year’s entry.
This is the third year for the GryphTech team in the FIRST Robotics challenge games. Last year they shared a gold medal.
An open house gave parents and the public a glimpse into how Team 6864 is doing ahead of this weekend’ competition in Barrie.
Robotics teacher Iggy Van Kooten makes a suggestion on how students can make the tricky robot work.
Sierra Thompson, left, and Axel Greavette work on coding and programming this year’s entry.
Parent volunteer Linda Hachmer gives an overview to team member Axel Greavette’s parents, brother and sisters.
The innner workings of the robot are meant to pick up the ball and propel it into a charger station.
The cost of building the $5,000 robot includes parts like these wheels that each cost $50.
A string of numbers and letters make the robot move, shoot and hopefully score.
Community sponsors have anted up about half of this year’s budgeted cost of $29,500.

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