Michigan students, robots win at world robotics competition – Detroit Free Press

At the FIRST Robotics district event in Marysville, teamwork, ingenuity, problem solving and quick thinking are all necessary things on the game field. Almost as important, though a great outfit. Jeffrey M. Smith | Times Herald

The Plymouth-Canton robotics team, called the Lightning Robotics, takes a group shot after winning the world robotics competition as part of a four-team alliance in St. Louis.(Photo: Plymouth-Canton Lightning Robots)

Nine years ago, Stryke Force was a rookie robotics team. Today, they're world champions.

"We're the youngest team to ever pull this off," said Jerry Culp, an executive at Stryker and a mentor for the Kalamazoo-area team.

A year ago, the Lightning Robotics team from the Plymouth-Canton school district didn't make it to the state or world finals. Today, they, too, are world champions.

The Stryke Force robotics team from the Kalamazoo area poses for a group shot after being part of the four-team alliance that won the world championships in St. Louis April 29.(Photo: Stryke Force team)

"This is like a huge comeback," said Vivian Clements, 17, a junior on the Plymouth-Canton team. "We skyrocketed in growth."

The two Michigan teams were part of a four-team alliance that won the worldFIRST Championship in St. Louis this past weekend. Their alliance included teams from San Jose and Montvale, N.J. The Stryke Force team was the captain of the alliance.

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"It was just amazing," said Jack Bruinwood, 15, a home-schooled student from Portage and member of the Kalamazoo area team. "It was one of the best feelings to see all of our hard work that we put on through the years and to finally achieve the goal of winning."

It's a first-time world competition win for both of the teams, said Gail Alpert, president of First in Michigan, the state robotics association.

The robot for the Stryke Force robotics team from the Kalamazoo area climbs during the world championships April 29 in St. Louis.(Photo: Stryke Force robotics team)

"The amount of technology that was on these teams and proficiency in engineering was just so inspirational for all to see," Alpert said. "It was really the Olympics of FIRST."

Valkyrie, the robot for the Plymouth-Canton Lighting Robotics team, was key to the team's success as part of a four-team alliance that won the world robotics competition in St. Louis.(Photo: Plymouth-Canton Lightning Robotics)

Meanwhile, another Michigan team the Dragonsfrom Lake Orion High Schoolwas part of the alliance that was afinalist.

The world competition for FIRST For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology brought together 15,000 students and about 400 teams from across the U.S. and more than 30 other countries to St. Louis, Mo.

Their winning teams beat the competition by mastering the playing field, which required the robots guided by students to shoot balls into the boiler of an airship, deliver gears to pilots and climb a rope.

"I'm celebrating what these teams accomplished, but also what they represent that Michigan is the place for emerging talent in science and technology," Roger Curtis, director of the state Department of Talent and Economic Development, said in a news release Monday.

Culp said the road to success includes catching students when they're young.

"Much like you see in football, you don't become a rock star if you didn't play football before that. The same is very true here."

That's true in Bruinwood's case. He's been part of robotics since he was seven years old. Since middle school, he's had a key role in robotics: driving the robot.

"I'm in charge of moving the robot and then I am in charge of placing the gears on the springs and then making the robot shoot," Bruinwood said.

He's gotten good, he says, through practice. Culp said people were proclaiming Bruinwood "the best driver in the world," during the competition.

"When you watch what he's able to make that robot do around that floor, it's amazing."

The Kalamazoo team includes students from schools throughout the Kalamazoo area. Their name is reflects one of their main sponsors Stryker, a medical technology company in the city. Culp is president of the board that oversees all of the robotics teams Stryker helps sponsor. Other key sponsors are Midlink and the Kalamazoo County 4-H.

The Plymouth-Canton team is made up of students from Plymouth High, Salem High and Canton High schools. Their major sponsors are Bosch, Jabil, Leidos, Nissan and Ford.

Joe Jagadics, the lead mentor for the Plymouth-Canton team, chalked up this year's success to a group of students "who were just incredible to work with."

"They were really dedicated and really excited. They knew what they wanted to get done. They knew what they wanted to achieve and they worked to accomplish it."

Clements is still in shock that her team was part of the winning alliance.

"I cried a lot. I was really excited. Our team worked really hard to be better this year than last year. It's so surreal. I still can't believe we won."

Jay Obsniuk, a robotics teacher in the Plymouth-Canton district and the founder of the team, said that while a lot of the focus in robotics is helping students earn scholarships and jobs, winning the world competition "is like icing on the cake."

The Michigan team's win provides strong momentum for 2018, when the state will host the world competition for the first time.Opening and closing ceremonies will take place at Ford Field, while the competition will take place at Cobo Center.

Michigan for years has been a robotics powerhouse, winning more trophies at the world competition than any other state. Michigan also has more teams than any other state, at 450 this year. California is second, with just under 300 teams.

"Michigan has always been a leader in innovation," Gov. Rick Snyder, a big supporter of robotics who helped secure additional state funding that has helped the program grow in the state, said in a statement. "Thanks to the hard work of these students, the dedication of their coaches and the generosity of their sponsors, our state has also become a national leader in FIRST Robotics."

Contact Lori Higgins: 313-222-6651, lhiggins@freepress.com or @LoriAHiggins

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Michigan students, robots win at world robotics competition - Detroit Free Press