LINN Victory for Reek Schools Robotics Club depends on whether its robot can pickup an egg off the ground, carry it and empty its yoke into a container, without getting any of the shell inside.

The club will compete in Gateway Technical Colleges robotics challenge for middle and high school students on May 11, and two Reek students feel good about their chances to bring home the gold.

Were working really hard, and our idea, this idea, seems to work pretty well, said seventh-grader Taylor Oltrogge.

Recently, the club built a prototype robot, which uses a claw to hold and crack the egg.

What we figured out is we need (the claw) to kind of bend, said sixth-grader Ryan Cunningham.

This is Cunninghams second year in robotics club, and Oltrogges first.

Reek librarian/reading specialist Cari Ruhl created the club, which had six members last year.

Now, there are 14 enough for two teams.

One of Reeks teams is creating a robot for a sumo wrestling-styled portion of the competition, which is held in Sturtevant. Meanwhile, Oltrogge and Cunninghams team is preparing to compete in a timed task competition.

Each year, its a different task, said Ruhl.

Last year, the club had to design a robot capable of picking up six ping-pong balls and placing them in a bin.

Cunningham recalled the design process.

He said that they decided picking up each ball, one by one, wasnt efficient, so they designed a cup-shaped funnel, with a lattice of straws tied across the wider end.

The robot placed the bucket over the ping-pong balls, squeezing them through the lattice.

With the balls inside the bucket, the robot backed up to the bin, and dumped the balls out the narrower end.

It actually works pretty well, Cunningham said.

Ruhl said they were one of the teams which actually picked up all the balls and placed them into the bin in one try.

Outsider robotics

Why did Ruhl who confessed shes not a tech person, nor someone who knows much about robotics or engineering start a robotics club at Reek?

She wanted to see children have an after-school opportunity that went beyond the usual offerings related to sports, music and art.

Its a little bit outside of my normal duties, said Ruhl. Just having the kids being able to work together and build something, thats what interests me, seeing them work together.

And its all of them, she said.

Ruhl orders kits for the students, who learn how to build the robots by following the directions and she learns with them.

Some, like Oltrogge and Cunningham, have experience in some of the skills that apply to robotics.

Cunningham said he was 7 when he took apart his first computer and hes collected electronic cords since he was little.

Oltrogge said her dad got her into electronics at an early age.

When I was little he let me help him build his computers, she said. He doesnt like to buy them because he likes to make them.

Cunningham and Oltrogge said the most fun part of robotics club is figuring out the design challenges, building the robot and working together.

And theyre eager to contend for first place in the challenge.

But if they dont win?

Theres always next year, said Oltrogge. We can just keep trying until we do.

You get the satisfaction of just being in it, said Cunningham.

More:

Robotics club gearing up for Gateway competition - Lake Geneva Regional News