Plymouth High School students experienced a bit of success over the weekend at a state robotics competition.
The High School has six robotics teams – three of which qualified for the Indiana State VEX state tournament.
Another team that does not compete under the Plymouth High School banner, but consisting of Plymouth students also qualified. The RoboNinjas, as they’re called, won the state competition for the third year in a row. Robotics Sponsor Rich Schieber says it’s only the second year Plymouth High School has even had a robotics club.
“We are very pleased with the amount of success our students have had,” says Schieber. “Has it been any one thing that we have done in particular? No. We try to answer the questions, help them out, when and if they have a problem. Maybe guide them, give them some things to think about.”
VEX – which organizes the competitions – comes out with a new game each year. The student designed robots are expected to play the game, meaning participants have to design a driving system and a manipulator for the robots.
Work is put into the robots for nearly one year prior to the competitions. The club at Plymouth High School meets once a week for about three hours after class. Students are able to put additional time into their robots.
Schieber says their efforts are showing.
“The more time that’s spent on them both in building and design and also in practice driving, the better the students are going to do in competition,” says Schieber.
Plymouth has robotics clubs at the elementary and middle school level. Schieber says there’s already a strong interest among the students to compete.
The robotics club says they’re focused on getting through this season. There are two competitions left. US nationals will be held the second week of April in Iowa. The world competition will be held in Louisville, Kentucky.
