Pensacola’s robotics team goes from garage to world championship – Pensacola News Journal

Troy Moon , tmoon@pnj.com 1:02 p.m. CT April 9, 2017

Steel Tempest, a robotics team from Pensacola, heading to The FIRST Championship Robotics Competition. Troy Moon/tmoon@pnj.com

At left, Darion Lopez chats with Sean McMann while other members of the Steel Tempest robotic team work on the group's robot on Wednesday, April 4, 2017. The team will take part in the FIRST Championship robotics competition later this month in Houston.(Photo: Tony Giberson/tgiberson@pnj.com)Buy Photo

They are the little team that could. And they builta robot that just might.

The Steel Tempest robotics team out of Pensacola is heading to a world championship robotics event in Houston after finishing in the top eight at the Rocket City Regional robotics tournament in Huntsville, Alabama. The FIRST Championship robotics competition will take place April 19-22

The Steel Tempest team is not only a rookie team, but an undersized and underfunded team.While many of the nearly 300 teams from across the globe that will compete have teams of 50 to 100 members, the Steel Tempest team sponsored by the Pensacola Private School ofLiberal Arts has only seven members.

ARCHIVES:4 schools take top honors at BEST Robotics competition

And while some of the teams have corporate sponsors, Steel Tempest had to have yard sales and go door-to-door selling Christmas wreathsto raise money to compete.

"And we're younger than most teams, too,'' said 17-year-old Blake Bartee, a junior at the school."Most are stacked with older players."

FIRST, which stands forFor Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. The robotics competition is open to team members ages 14 to 18 or to students in grades nine through 12.

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Last year, Bartee and friend Gevani Lopez were members of a Boy Scout robotics team, but when the troop decided not to sponsor a team this year, the two formed their own with classmates. Soon, the School ofLiberal Arts where all but one team member attends schooltook over sponsorship of the team.

In March, the team brought their robot, named Moe,to the Rocket City Regional in Huntsville, where the SteelTempest became the first rookie team to place in the top eight. The team was the highest rookie seed and came home with the Rookie All-Star Award.

"It's amazing what they've done,'' said Jacqueline Tarver, principal of theSchool ofLiberal Arts. "They did all the work, 100 percent, after school, on their own time. They're committed."

ARCHIVES:IHMC's Ken Ford elected to inventors hall of fame

The team practices in the Barteehome garage, where Blake Bartee's father, Doug, serves as team mentor.

Inside the garage, the seven-member team recently gathered around Moe,which resembles an old glass popcorn machine, until you look at all the gears, wires, levers and electronics packed inside. The team had to design a robot that could shoot balls toward a goal, climb a rope and other challenges.

"They really have to work hard to compete against these larger, better-funded teams,'' Doug Bartee said. "They've really stayed on track."

The team members say there havebeen trying times in the quest to build a winning robot.

"We had one day where it all went down,'' Lopez said."We just couldn't agree on anything. All the moms were talking. We had some walkouts. But we all came together. But there have been lots of adjustments. (Moe) struggled to catch gears, but we worked that out. It's just working out problems."

In addition to Bartee and Lopez, the team also includesChelsea Marlow, Nowah Sandy,Billy Pearson,Sean McMannand Darion Lopez, Gevani's brother and the only team member who doesn't attend the School of Liberal Arts; he attends Creative Learning Academy.

To contribute to the future of the SteelTempest robotics team, donate through the team's GoFundMe page.

The Naval Aviation Museum Foundation and the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition will host "Robots Day" from noon to 5 p.m. April 15 at the National Naval Aviation Museum atPensacola Naval Air Station. The event will feature kid-friendly robot concepts,hands-on science kit activities and free tickets to see the film "Robots" at the museum. Show times are 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., and tickets are given on a first-come, first-served basis. Free popcorn and beverages will also be provided.

MORE ROBOTICS FROM THE ARCHIVES

Woodlawn Beach Middle School students look to defend their BEST Robotics competition title.

Blue Angels Elementary fifth graders competed against Gulf Power engineers in a robotics race on Monday. The fifth graders won. Rob Johnson/rjohnson@pnj.com

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Robotics experts Henrik Christensen and Steve Cousins discuss the future of the field. Gannett News Service

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Read or Share this story: http://on.pnj.com/2oPaLKp

Read more here:

Pensacola's robotics team goes from garage to world championship - Pensacola News Journal