WAIALUA TEAM CAPTURES SECOND NATIONAL REGIONAL ROBOTICS TITLE

Hawai‘i Robotics Teams Gear Up for Hawai‘i Regional Competition, March 25 – 27 at Stan Sheriff Center

RELATED: “Poi Pounder” smashes competition: Waialua HS wins big in San Diego Robotics meet

HONOLULU – For the second time in two weeks, the Waialua High School Robotics team has won a national regional robotics competition.  The Waialua team, also known as The Hawaiian Kids, led a three-team alliance with teams from California and Arizona to win the 2010 Arizona Regional FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Robotics) Competition held this weekend at the Arizona Veterans Coliseum in Phoenix.  Waialua was among three Hawai‘i student robotics teams out of a field of 56 that featured teams from the U.S. and Mexico.

In addition to earning the championship title, Waialua was honored as the Chairman’s Award recipient, FIRST’s most prestigious award, which recognizes the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST. The award helps keep the central focus of the FIRST Robotics Competition on the goal of inspiring greater levels of respect and honor for science and technology.

Waialua also won the Entrepreneurship Award, which celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit and recognizes a team, which since its inception, has developed the framework for a comprehensive business plan in order to scope, manage and obtain team objectives. The award is given to the team that displays entrepreneurial enthusiasm and the vital business skills for a self sustaining program.  Waialua was also awarded the Cooperation Award, which recognizes the team that best demonstrates the ability to help their opponents compete.

Last weekend, the Waialua team took the top prize at the 2010 San Diego FIRST Regional Competition. By winning a regional, Waialua has secured a spot for the seventh time in the 2010 FIRST International Championships that will be held in Atlanta, Georgia in April.

Two other teams, both from Maui, also competed in Arizona.  The Maui High School Blue Thunder team, which won the Hawai‘i Regional last year, placed 28th.  The Baldwin High School Bearbotics team finished the Arizona Regional in 31st place overall.

The highlight of Hawai‘i’s FIRST robotics season will take place March 25 – 27, when 24 Hawai‘i teams and four visiting teams from the mainland (Alaska, Louisiana and New Jersey) will compete at the third annual FIRST in Hawai‘i Regional Robotics Competition at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Stan Sheriff Center.  The event is free and open to the public.

The Hawai‘i Regional is supported by a broad cross section of the community including mentors from the private sector, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Hawai‘i National Guard, the University of Hawai‘i as well as sponsors BAE Systems, salesforce.com, USA Funds, Lockheed Martin, HECO, Northrop Grumman and others. 

“Once again, Hawai‘i’s student robotics teams have represented our state and their schools with pride and gracious professionalism,” said Governor Linda Lingle.  “Hawai‘i students who are involved in robotics education programs have consistently excelled at the national level as they gain critical thinking skills and apply their knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math – or STEM – education skills to meet complex challenges.  We are all extremely proud of the teams from Waialua, Maui and Baldwin High, and we look forward to cheering on these and other outstanding students at the 2010 FIRST in Hawai‘i Regional Robotics Competition.”

Since January, Hawai‘i robotics teams, along with their counterparts from around the world, have been working with teachers and industry mentors to build robots to meet a specific engineering challenge using a common Kit of Parts made up of motors, batteries, a control system, a PC, and a mix of automation components – but no instructions.

This year's challenge, “BREAKAWAY,” challenges two alliances of three teams to compete on a 27-by-54-foot field with bumps, attempting to earn points by collecting soccer balls in goals. Additional bonus points will be earned for each robot suspended in air and not touching the field at the end of the match.

Robotics provides students with a strong educational foundation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and offers them opportunities to solve problems, work as teams and think analytically – skills useful in any career.

FIRST Robotics is one of six major programs in which Hawai‘i students can participate. The six programs, which fall under the umbrella of the Robotics Organizing Committee (ROC), include FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Robotics, Botball, VEX Robotics, Underwater Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV) and Micro Robotics.

Recognizing the importance of promoting robotics at an early age and sustaining students' interest in STEM education throughout their schooling, the six robotics programs, which previously operated autonomously, joined together to form the Hawai‘i Robotics Organizing Committee (www.hawaiiroc.org).  This is the first time all six of the robotics programs have coordinated their efforts to promote robotics education in elementary, middle and high schools statewide.

Photos from Waialua Robotics club can be found on the team website: http://www.waialuarobotics.com/

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