Photo By Lily Chen | Robots competing at the game floor at the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science...... read more read more
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Ten high school teams, mentored by Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) and Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific employees, competed at the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST®) Robotics Competition (FRC) San Diego Regionals Tournament March 24-26 at the UC San Diego LionTree Arena in San Diego, Calif.
With 50 teams total from across Southern California and even abroad, these high school students had six to eight weeks to design and build their robots to the challenge’s specifications. This year’s theme, CHARGED UP℠, inspires teams to see the potential of energy storage in a new light as they compete to charge up their communities.
In the challenge, three robots work as an alliance to collect resources to power up their communities. The two alliances are competing to collect and deliver the most cones and cubes, representing energy, to their energy grid on the other side of the field. The energy grid is comprised of a series of platforms or poles upon which the cones or cubes are placed, with varying levels awarding more points. At the end of the two-and-a-half-minute match, teams can score a bonus by safely parking their robot on the charge station platform.
During the season, teams not only have to build a robot but also are challenged to raise funds, design a team brand and hone teamwork skills, while working on outreach and fundraising all year long. Dubbed the “ultimate sport for the mind,” FRC combines the excitement of sports with the rigors of science and technology. With its philosophy of “coopertition®” - a portmanteau combining “cooperation” and “competition” - and “gracious professionalism®,” FIRST® encourages its participants to always be willing to help and learn from everyone, even their fellow competitors.
John Chang, a senior at Rancho Bernardo High School, explained how their NAVWAR-mentored team Σ-Motion looks beyond building robots to support diversity and their community at large. “We’re constantly growing and supporting diversity and equality in STEM by partnering with Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Next to host guest speakers and movie nights,” he said. “I’ve been involved in FIRST® since I was in fourth grade but couldn’t participate during middle school because it wasn’t available. Now, we’re changing that by helping mentor a FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) Challenge team with our local middle school.”
Most NAVWAR and NIWC Pacific-mentored teams are sponsored by Department of Defense Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (DODSTEM) grants, which help pay for competition fees, materials, outreach efforts, etc. The Navy and DOD are dedicated to fostering the next generation of STEM talent. With opportunities like the DOD Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service Program and the Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP), high school students can continue their careers with the Navy and have their degrees funded.
Special guests NAVWAR Commander Rear. Adm. Doug Small, NAVWAR Chief Technology Officer Carly Jackson and PMW 170/A Communications and GPS Navigation Program Manager Capt. Kris De Soto visited the NAVWAR and NIWC Pacific-mentored teams as well, asking questions about their robot design and what role each student plays within their team, like engineers, designers, marketers and more.
“It’s amazing to see how many real-world skills these kids learn by participating in FIRST®. Their creativity, ingenuity and teamwork are all on display when they show off their robots,” said De Soto. “By mentoring these teams and funding them with grants, NAVWAR and the DOD are directly supporting the next generation of STEM talent.”
NAVWAR and NIWC Pacific have been involved in FIRST® since 2009, when STEM Outreach Coordinator Wanda Curtis created the local program and organized the first NAVWAR FLL Qualifying Tournament at Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, Calif. With support from the DOD, NAVWAR and NIWC Pacific have engaged hundreds of teams in the past 10-plus years, with an average of 40 to 50 teams mentored by NAVWAR and NIWC Pacific employees competing in FIRST® every year. Currently, Curtis and her STEM Outreach Co-Coordinator Brian Williams organize events year-round to get the NAVWAR workforce involved with STEM and set them up with resources to mentor their own teams.
Several NAVWAR and NIWC Pacific-mentored teams were recognized with awards:
• Regional Finalist – Patribots (FRC #4738)
• Wildcard – Patribots (FRC #4738)
• Judges’ Award – Team Ronin (FRC #4919)
• Team Sustainability Award – W.A.R. Lords (FRC #2485)
• Gracious Professionalism Award – Aluminum Narwhals (FRC #3128)
The Patribots and Team Spyder (FRC #1622), who qualified from previous regional competitions, will advance to the FIRST® Championship in Houston, Texas, April 19-22.
About FIRST®:
Founded in 1989, FIRST® is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18. They operate the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC), FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) and FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) competitions.
About NAVWAR:
NAVWAR identifies, develops, delivers and sustains information warfighting capabilities and services that enable naval, joint, coalition and other national missions operating in warfighting domains from seabed to space and through cyberspace. NAVWAR consists of more than 11,000 civilian, active duty and reserve professionals located around the world.
| Date Taken: | 04.06.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 04.06.2023 16:04 |
| Story ID: | 442193 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 225 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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