Fresh from a trip to Montreal, the RAGE Robotics team of East Hartford is getting ready for the regional championships that will take place March 30–31. This year, the students have constructed a basketball-shooting robot that will compete in the “Rebound Rumble” at the Hartford Convention Center.

RAGE, which stands for Robotics And Gadget Engineering, is a team made up of students from East Hartford, Manchester, Rockville and Tolland high schools; CIBA students; engineering mentors; teachers; and parents. The team, now in its 18^th year, designs and builds a robot that is used in competitions throughout the year.

During a recent meeting at East Hartford High School, the team talked about their Montreal trip and prepared for the upcoming competition. “We had six weeks to build a robot that can shoot a basketball into a hoops set at three different levels,” said William Champ, a member of the drive team for the robot. During the competition, teams shoot baskets at the ends of an eight-hoop field during a series of two minute, 15-second matches. The teams also compete for honors and recognition that reward their design excellence, competitive play and sportsmanship. Teams are also recognized for the partnerships they form with schools, businesses and communities.

The team was one of only four teams from the U.S. that participated in the Montreal event. The group placed seventh overall, and won an award from the judges for their graciousness and professionalism toward other teams. “We helped another team that was having problems with their equipment, and they ended up placing higher than we did,” said Alex Carr, the team treasurer.

Interest in robotics has grown in recent years, with new teams and national and international interest growing. Brook Jackson, the team’s vice president, has been on the robotics team for the past four years. “It’s very creative,” Jackson said. “You meet a lot of new people, people from across the country and even from other countries, and you can relate to them because you all have the same interest commitment.”

Northeast Utilities is the sponsor of the Connecticut Regional at the Hartford Convention Center. A live web cast of the event can be seen on the website www.shsrobotics.org/webcast.html. Visit www.ragerobotics.com for further information.

Reposted with permission, ReminderNews.