Pathfinder robotics team competes in world championship

May 4, 2022 | Lauren LeBel
llebel@thereminder.com

PALMER – Fourteen students on the Pathfinder robotics team went head-to-head with 454 teams across the world, during the FIRST Robotics Championship in Houston, TX.

Justin Bren, lead mentor/head coach of the robotics team, explained that this was their “rookie season,” so partaking in this division [FIRST Robotics Competition], was their first time.

He said, “As a high school we have competed in world championships for robotics four times now, including the most recent trip, but those three previous visits were for smaller robots.”
With this trip, Bren said the robot was about four to six times larger than the smaller robots they would normally compete with. The cost to make this robot was about 10 times as much, he noted.

BMO, the robot created for this competition was designed by students in early January. “It is a completely custom fabricated machine and there is nothing else like it in the world,” said Bren. “BMO is essentially all of the students’ ideas turned into a reality for this competition.”

The Pathfinder students used this creation to compete in the “toughest division in the world of the six divisions” at the World’s Competition, said Bren. “This did leave us lower ranked than we had hoped but the students did a great job working with what we had.”

He continued, “The students learned a lot of limitations at the World Competition that will guide our future robots to be even more competitive and successful than we have been this season.”

Additionally, Bren said the students had opportunities to speak with representatives at the college fair, along with manufacturers and employers from around the country at the innovation fair, “looking for talented students like ours,” he added.

Bren described the competition as an “incredible opportunity,” for students to travel as a team and for many, it was their first time traveling on an airplane.

He went on to say, “Pathfinder Tech’s rookie season in division one robotics was largely successful because the students set out with the goal being to qualify for the world championship. The students felt we more than accomplished that goal but they want to make sure we are more competitive next year as well.” Bren said, “We gathered a lot of data on what other teams’ robots used versus what we are using and the students have already specified a new chassis for next season…” He said this will cost about $5,000 before making the robot perform the “game tasks.”

“Next for Pathfinder Tech’s robotics team will be increasing community outreach, giving demonstrations to inspire more kids to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) careers and hopefully raising more funds to be more successful next year,” said Bren.

Although the team did not win any additional awards at the World’s Competition, their season rounds out with four awards in total. The awards include a Rookie All-Star Award from a qualification event, Rookie All-Star for all of the New England region, Rookie Inspiration Award and the Highest Rookie Seed Award.

The 14 Pathfinder students range from sophomores to seniors. The students are Anthony Lavalley, Cody Blackwell, Jack Leighton, Sarah Hastings, Victoria Watkins, Cooper Heneghan, Catalina Mudgett, Ethan Griswold, Harrison Lavoie, Hunter Skowyra, Madison Tourigny, Keith Chevalier, Ayden Shea and Luke Cutone.

Alongside Bren, Guy Nyzio also serves as team mentor.

Bren said other shops in Pathfinder were involved in the competition as well. The CAD/Pre-Engineering students created models and drawings, along with providing carpentry with “technical drawings” to complete necessary practice elements prior to the competition.

“The advanced manufacturing program processed the parts and created them in the machine shop,” he said. “We [robotics team] had provided the electrical shop with some specifications to make the scoring hoop out of conduit.”

Bren said the Programming and Web students worked on the website for the robotics team. They also had several students helping with the software for the scouting system and robot itself.

The Electronic program was responsible for wiring the system components. Auto Collision Repair painted all the parts as the machine shop completed them. Lastly, Business Technology made the team’s business plan and worked on the award submissions for the robotics team.

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