South Hagerstown High School students from the Green Machine and Rebellious Misfits teams and the Synobotz Z team from Carroll Educational Robotics in Westminster, Md, were named tournament champions at Volvo Group Trucks VEX Robotics Qualifier.

There were 37 teams and more than 200 students battling their bots at the recent event held at South High.

The Green Machine team included Kent Ha, Maryanne Kimani, James Stell, and Cameron Hahn. The Rebellious Misfits team was comprised of Katie Custer, Xianvieve Hulbert, Brennen Rosage, Alex Wright and Dorian Johnson. The Synobotz Z squad included Chris Scott, Nolan Hintze, William Hoke and Alyssa Magaha.

The action-packed day required middle and high school students to execute the VEX Robotics Competition game Starstruck, which is played by scoring colored stars and cubes in zones and by hanging the robot on a hanging bar.

As tournament champions, the teams qualified to compete in two upcoming events. The first is the Maryland State Championship scheduled to be held from March 3 to 4 at Sollers Point Technical High School in Dundalk, Md.

The teams seek to continue to advance to participate at the VEX Robotics World Championship, the culminating event of the season held in April with the top teams from across the U.S. and around the world who seek to become world champions.

The second is the CREATE U.S. Open Robotics Championship, scheduled to be held from April 4 to 8 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The events are open and free for media, families and community members to attend.

To prepare for the competition, the teams worked together to design and build a robot using VEX EDR, that could quickly and efficiently solve specific obstacles and challenges that come with playing the VEX Robotics Competition Starstruck game.

The students apply what theyve learned about science, technology, engineering and math in order to build the semiautonomous machines.

An equally important set of skills is learned through the competition communication, project management, site management and the importance of composure, because students have to learn how to lose as much as they have to learn how to win.

South Highs Green Machine Robotics team earned the events top honor VEX Robotics Excellence Award.

Additional esteemed VEX awards were also presented.

Design Award IVM Bio-Quantum Clubs QH BioDragons team

Judges Award North Hagerstown High Schools Hubs team

Robot Skills Winner Carroll Educational Robotics Synobotz Z team

Dawn Reed, tech ed teacher at Smithsburg Middle, was recognized with VEX Robotics Volunteer of the Year award for her time and effort as adviser and coach to five teams from Smithsburg Middle and Senior High schools.

For more information, go to RoboticsEducation.org or RobotEvents.com.

Read the original post:

South High wins Volvo's robotics tournament - Herald-Mail Media