Return of the Battling Robots

When the FIRST Robotics Buckeye Regional Competition returned to Cleveland in March for the first time since 2019, nobody was more excited than the high school student competitors. They came from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York with their robots to vie for a spot in the international championship. But joy also shone on the faces of the volunteers and mentors who helped make the competition possible.

"I just love seeing all the students here learning and meeting friends. The atmosphere is fantastic," said Herb Schilling, a computer scientist at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. "It's a lot of fun. You get to meet awesome young people and see them grow. You get to build a robot, code a robot, everything about it is great. I don't know why everyone doesn't do it."

Schilling, who mentored two Cleveland area teams, was one of dozens of Glenn employees who served as mentors, judges, referees, and other volunteers. The center supported the event through grants and helped coordinate it while sponsoring nine Ohio teams.

Students worked with their mentors for six weeks to design a robot using a kit of parts and a standard set of rules. At the regional competition, teams competed in a game called RAPID REACT, inspired by the future of high-speed transportation. The robots began on a tarmac and raced to shoot balls into an upper and lower hub before returning to their hangars and climbing as many rungs as possible.

Head referee Erin Hubbard had a close-up view of the action. "I like being a referee, because I enjoy seeing the competition and it's basically the best seat in the house being right next to the field," she said.

Hubbard, who supports Glenn's Facilities and Testing Division, got hooked on FIRST Robotics 20 years ago when she was a student at The Ohio State University mentoring a high school team. She has remained involved since then, but this year was special because FIRST named her the Buckeye Regional's Outstanding Volunteer of the Year.

"I was surprised and honored," Hubbard said. "I would volunteer regardless of the award, but it was nice to be appreciated on my 20th year of service to FIRST."

According to Hubbard, hands-on experience and competition play an important role in engaging students and preparing them for STEM careers.

"Being in the classroom, you learn about the math and the physics behind these things," Hubbard said. "But when you actually get involved with a project that has deadlines and physical tasks to be completed, it's the application of all the things you've learned."

Schilling said the competition also helps build the students' confidence: "They're doing electrical work, using pretty sophisticated coding techniques, drilling holes, and it's like 'hey I can do this stuff.'"

Along with confidence and hands-on experience, sometimes the students need a little extra help. In this fast-paced competition, unexpected mechanical problems can eliminate a team. When the students can't fix a problem, they head to the machine shop, sponsored by Sierra Lobo and run by Glenn support service contractors. The shop is equipped with a drill press, welder, band saw, mill, and lathe.

"It's great to see the expressions on their faces when they come to us for help and we make a part for them or we fix their parts," said Csongor Hollohazy, who works as a tool and die maker at Glenn. "They're so elated to put it back on their robot. They're back in business."

Seven teams from the Buckeye Regional qualified to advance to the International Championships in Houston April 20 - 23, and two NASA Glenn-sponsored teams received special honors. Though they will not compete in the championship, the Metrobots from Metro Early College High School in Columbus, Ohio, won the Gracious Professionalism Award, and the BotCats from Grandview Heights High School in Columbus won the Judge's Award.

The annual global tournament is organized by the nonprofit FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) to encourage students to embark on STEM careers. NASA has supported the FIRST Robotics Competition for many years by providing grants to high school teams and sponsoring FIRST regional competitions.

Related Links
FIRST Robotics Competition
All about the robots on Earth and beyond!

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