Local robotics teams will compete in a robotics competition hosted by Northwestern High School

KOKOMO – On March 5th and March 6th, thousands of students, parents, teachers, and industry professionals will convene at Northwestern High School for the FIRST ® Robotics FRC competition.

More than 3,200 high school teams worldwide will participate in the FIRST ® Robotics Competition this year including some local teams.

The 2022 FIRST ® game called RAPID REACT has high school robotics team students around the world eager to capture a championship. After the game was revealed back in January, students have been brainstorming and drawing up designs for robots that will compete at several events this season. Teams had about 8 weeks to build their robots and now the competition season is underway. This event is the first in a series of three competitions that qualify teams to compete at the state championship where teams will qualify to move on to the world championship.

This event is the first one for the 2022 season. Sponsored by AndyMark in Kokomo Indiana.

Dean Kamen, president of DEKA Research and Development and FIRST Founder

” FIRST isn’t about competing, it’s about cooperating, and recognizing that if you have the right tools, you’ll be able to make this world a better place for yourself and for the country,” said Dean Kamen, president of DEKA Research and Development and FIRST Founder, adding, “There is no stimulus package that will have as much return as stimulating a bunch of kids to become the workforce of the future, the problem-solvers, the creators of the future.”

While the students are attracted to the challenge of building a robot, the main focus of FIRST ® is on the skills the students develop in the program.

The atmosphere of a robotics competition is markedly similar to a basketball game; fans decked out in spirited clothing, constant cheering, and the moments of euphoria when a team scores just before the buzzer rings. It’s a truly incredible experience for all involved.

Details:

EVENT: Kokomo District Event, High School Robotics Competition
WHERE: Northwestern High School, 3431 N. County Road 400 W, Kokomo, IN 46901
WHEN: March 5-6, 2022 – Saturday and Sunday
ADMISSION: No charge and open to the public
LIVE STREAM: http://www.indianafirst.org/

Schedule:

Friday, March 4, 2022
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Pits Open

Saturday, March 5, 2022
8:00 am – 10:30 am – Pits Open, Practice Rounds, Inspections
10:30 am – 11:00 am – Opening Ceremonies
11:00 am – 1:00 pm – Qualification Matches
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Lunch
2:30 pm – 7:00 pm – Qualification Matches
7:00 pm – 7:30 pm – Closing Ceremonies
8:00 pm – Pits Close*

Sunday, March 6, 2022
8:00 am – Pits Open
9:00 am – 9:30 am – Opening Ceremonies
9:30 am – 11:30 pm – Qualification Matches
11:45 pm – 12:15 pm – Alliance Selections
12:15 pm – 1:45 pm – Lunch
1:45 pm – 4:30 pm – Playoff Matches
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm – Awards Ceremony
6:30 pm – Pits Close*

Schedule subject to change. All times are estimated based on flow of rounds. See Pit Administration table for updated times.

Links

Event Details: https://www.firstindianarobotics.org/frc/2022-kokomo-event-presented-by-andymark/

Printable Event Schedule: https://www.firstindianarobotics.org/wp/media/2022-FIN-Kokomo-public-schedule.docx.pdf

FRC Robotics 2022 Season Schedule: https://www.firstindianarobotics.org/frc-district-events-2022/

Kokomo District Event Team List


Team Number	Team Name	School/Organization	Location	Twitter Handle *	Team Website *
45	TechnoKats Robotics Team	Kokomo School Corporation	Kokomo, Indiana		http://www.technokats.org/
292	PantherTech	Western School Corporation	Russiaville, Indiana	@FRC_Team_292	https://www.thebluealliance.com/team/292
447	Team Roboto	District Troup 447	Anderson, Ind.	@FRC447	http://www.teamroboto.org/
461	Westside Boiler Invasion	West Layfayette Junior/Senior High School	West Lafayette, Indiana	@FRC461	https://boilerinvasion.org/
829	Digital Goats	Warren/Walker Career Center	Indianapolis, Indiana	@DigitalGoats	http://www.warrenrobotics.net/
868	TechHOUNDS	Carmel High School	Carmel, Indiana	@TechHOUNDS868	http://www.techhounds.com/
1024	Kil-A-Bytes	McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology	Indianapolis, Indiana	@FRC1024	http://www.mckenzierobotics.org/wp/
1501	Team THRUST	Huntington County 4-H Robotics	Huntington, Indiana	@Team1501	http://huntingtonrobotics.org/
1555	Cryonics	The E3 Robotics Center	Elkhart, Indiana	@frcteam1555	https://1555.team
1646	Precision Guessworks	Lafayette Jefferson High School	Lafayette, Indiana		https://first1646.com/
1720	PhyXTGears	Home School Group	Muncie, Indiana	@Team1720	http://phyxtgears.org/
1747	Harrison Boiler Robotics	Harrison High School	West Lafayette, Indiana	@1747robotics	http://www.hbrlive.com/
2197	The Cougars	New Prairie United School Corp	New Carlisle, Indiana	@LasPumas2197	https://www.laspumas2197.org/
3147	Munster HorsePower	Munster High School	Munster, Indiana	@HorsePower3147	http://munsterhorsepower.com/
3487	Red Pride Robotics	Plainfield High School	Plainfield, Indiana	@Team3487	http://earthquakers.wixsite.com/3487
3494	The Quadrangles	Bloomington High School South	Bloomington, Indiana	#FRC3494	http://www.thequadrangles.com/
3559	Thundercats	Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools	Jasper, Indiana	@FRC3559	http://www.jasperrobotics.com/
3865	Riley Wildbots	South Bend Community School Corp	South Bend, Indiana	#FRC3865	http://frcteam3865.weebly.com/
3936	RobotBlitz	Michigan City Area Schools	Michigan City, Indiana		http://roboblitz3936.com/
3940	CyberTooth	Northwestern Sr High School	Kokomo, Indiana	@3940CyberTooth	https://cybertooth3940.com/
4272	Maverick Boiler Robotics	McCutcheon High School	Lafayette, Indiana	@Team4272	http://www.team4272.com/site/
4982	Olympus Robotics	Homestead High School	Fort Wayne, Indiana	@OlympusRobotics	https://twitter.com/frc_team_4926
5010	Tiger Dynasty	Fishers High School	Fishers, Indiana	@FRC5010	http://tigerdynasty.org/
5402	Iron Kings	Southeastern School Corp	Walton, Indiana		https://www.thebluealliance.com/team/5402
5484	Career Academy Robotics	Career Academy South Bend	South Bend, Indiana	@FRC5484	http://team5484.com/
6498	Castle High School Robotics	Warrick County School Corp	Newburgh, Indiana	#FRC6498	https://www.thebluealliance.com/team/6498
6956	Sham ROCK Botics	Westfield-Washington Schools	Westfield, Indiana	@shamrockbotics	https://www.thebluealliance.com/team/6956
7454	North High School	Evansville North High School	Evansville, Indiana		https://www.facebook.com/northengineering
7477	Giddy GOATS	Mishawaka High School	Mishawaka, Indiana	@MishawakaFIRST	https://sites.google.com/view/mishawakarobotics/
8116	Hatchet Robotics	Washington High School	Bloomington, Indiana	Twitter Handle *	Team Website *
8232	Team Name	?? High School	City, State	Twitter Handle *	Team Website *
8742	Team Name	?? High School	City, State	Twitter Handle *	Team Website *

* Not all teams have websites or twitter handles.
** New team this year

Sponsor Information

This event wouldn’t be possible without support from the following 2022 FIRST ® Indiana District Kokomo Event & FIRST Indiana Robotics State-Wide Sponsors: AndyMark, Inc., Borg-Warner, Haynes International, Ivy Tech Kokomo, Community First Bank, Community Foundation of Howard County, NIPSCO, and in cooperation with Northwestern School Corporation.

Game Description

This year the game requires robots to deliver a round ball into one of two funnel-shaped goals. The game elements are best described as oversized tennis balls. Because the balls are only pressurized to 3 pounds per square inch they are soft and squishy just like a tennis ball. This feature makes ball handling a challenge for the robots to manipulate.

The goals are like giant funnels. The top edge of the funnels is at two different elevations from the floor. The multi elevated goals give the student robot designers several options for scoring. Designers can build a robot to launch balls into the top goal, the lower goal, or both goals. Scoring the top goal is good for more points but harder while scoring the lower goal is simpler, but not as point values.

Yet another way for robots to score points is by climbing what could be described as a set of 4 monkey bars. Each bar is at a different elevation and of course, the higher the bar is to climb the more points are scored. This task of hanging is completed near the end of the match and is extremely difficult for the student robot designers to build. Only the best of the best teams will be able to design a robot to climb on the highest topmost bar. Spectators will be on the edge of their seats watching 150-pound robots attempt climbing the pipes. If the robots fall while climbing it could mean the end of the road if damage from dropping is severe enough. The risk is high, but so are the points.

Obviously for robots to handle and launch balls they must have some to launch. Student robot designers have two ways to accept this challenge. The game features a loading station where student drive team members can funnel balls into the robots. While this may sound simple at first, it turns out not to be so easy. The balls can roll or bounce out of the robot. In some cases, they can even overshoot the robot completely. This problem gives the student robot designers another option. That is to pick them up off the floor. To us humans that is a simple task. For robots not so much. Of course the faster the robot can load, and the faster it can shoot, gives that team an advantage to scoring more points.

General Information

FIRST ® is tackling the trend of declining enrollment in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs by using a competition sports style model that makes STEM learning fun and inspiring for students. Some have questioned if something “fun” can be an effective tool to change people’s lives but initial data from a three-year study by FIRST ® on students in their first year of college indicates that FIRST’s ® positive impacts continue into post-secondary education, with FIRST ® alumni continuing to show impacts on STEM-related attitudes, as well as impacts on interest in engineering and technology-related majors, engineering course-taking, and STEM-related internships and summer jobs. Results to date indicate that FIRST ® is already making a lasting difference in career interests and educational choices for the young people who participate in the program. So students can learn and have fun at the same time! See the full study results at https://www.firstinspires.org/about/impact.

This competition is part of the larger organization, FIRST ® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), and their FIRST ® Robotics Competition for high school students. Over 3,600 teams, more than 91,000 students, and nearly 26,000 professional mentors across the world from 27 countries (including places like Canada, Mexico, China, Israel, and Australia), will be participating in District, Regional, and State-level events in hopes of qualifying for the 2020 FIRST World Championship in Detroit, MI. and Houston, TX.

FIRST ® was founded in 1989 to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, NH, the 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit public charity designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, while building self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills.

FIRST ® robotics competition combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, robotics teams of 25 students or more are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. These competitions create “real-world engineering” experiences for all participating students.

In addition to teacher mentors, volunteer professional mentors lend their time and expertise to help guide the work and development by each FIRST robotics team. For more information about this event, or FIRST Robotics, please contact: Renee Becker-Blau, IndianaFIRST Executive Director, at 414 704-1415. Additional information is also available at the website: http://www.indianafirst.org/ or http://www.firstinspires.org/.