Liggetts Knights conquer the robotics world – C&G Newspapers

University Liggett School senior Cooper Ondersma gets a heros welcome as he steps off the bus. Ondersma has been on the robotics team for seven years starting in middle school and capped off his senior year with the world championship win.

As the Knight Vision robotics team members exit the bus April 24, they are presented with congratulatory flowers and cheers from their family and friends.

Photo by Patricia OBlenes

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GROSSE POINTE WOODS Squaring off against teams from countries as far away as Israel, China and Turkey, University Liggett School students on Knight Vision Team 3175 emerged triumphant at the FIRST Robotics Competition April 23 in Houston, taking top honors in the international contest.

The students returned from the airport by bus April 24 to flowers and cheers as family and friends welcomed them back.

In an email interview, Kimberlee Galea a Liggett Upper School science teacher and FIRSTRoboticsCompetition head coach/roboticscoordinator said more than 450 teams from across the United States and the globe took part in this competition.

Liggett sophomore Isabella Haladjian, 15, of Grosse Pointe Shores, said in an email interview that she was shocked when she learned her team had won the championship.

Just a week before, we were waiting for results from the state championship to find out if we qualified or not for the world championship, so it was a huge surprise to make it this far, Haladjian said. Playing with so many other teams at such a high level was an incredible experience thatwe will never forget, andwe are so grateful to have been able to attend.

Its an exciting first for the school. Galea said this was the first time Liggett has won the world championship and the first time its team qualified for the event based on points. She said teams in 2015 and 2018 attended the championships, but they did so through a lottery/waitlist invitation.

Each year, competitors are asked to create a robot that can complete specific jobs.

Our task this year is to drive around a field and shoot oversized tennis balls into an 8-foot-tall goal that is4-feet in diameter, Haladjian said. In the last 30 seconds of the match, our robot has to traverse across a set of monkey bars to reach the highest bar and earn points.

Galea said the Knight Visions design allowed them to reduce their cycle times and store more cargo.

The simplicity of our robots design was the most surprising feature, Galea said. There are very few components that required maintenance throughout the season. We only had one electrical failure all season, and that occurred while we were at the World Championship. Because of the simplicity of the robot, the kids were able to easily identify the source of the problem and fix it before the next match. The double-wide shooter was probably the most unique aspect of our robot, and we had several students and mentors from the other teams at our event stopping by our pits to check out that design.

Haladjian said making sure their robot was reliable was important, so that they could complete their tasks with speed and consistency.

Haladjian has been on the robotics team since she was in seventh grade; she said she joined the high school team when she was in eighth grade. Shes the teams programmer.

I was always interested in programming since I was in middle school, and whenI heard about the team, I thought it would be a cool opportunity tolearn more about technology andSTEM, Haladjian said.

Cooper Ondersma, 18, a senior from Grosse Pointe Woods, said in an email interview that hes been part of robotics teams at Liggett for the last seven years, starting with the middle school team.

I always liked making things and taking things apart, Ondersma said. Also, I had an interestin technology in general always wanted to know how it worked.

Ondersma said robotics enabled him to discover that he has a passion for engineering, and he plans on studying either mechanical or aerospace engineering in college as he prepares for a career in the aerospace industry.

I most enjoyed learning how real engineering is done and having the chance to do it myself, Ondersma said of being on the robotics team. I loved learning all the skills that it takes to be an effective engineer.

Similarly, Haladjian said her experience on the robotics team has allowed her to discover her interest in STEM fields. While she hasnt decided on a career, she said she might go into computer science or another subdivision of engineering.

The robotics team experience also teaches students an array of other skills, including leadership, teamwork and communication, Ondersma said.

Students learn a wide variety of skills from being on aroboticsteam, Galea said. Depending on the role each student chooses to take on, they can learn computer aided design (CAD), how to use power tools to fabricate parts, strategic design, coding, how to set up a pneumatics system, electrical wiring, presentation skills, data analysis, budgeting, fundraising and of course teamwork. One of my favorite parts of FIRSTRoboticsis the emphasis on cooperation/gracious professionalism, which encourages everyone to help everyone.

The Knight Vision team also consists of seniors Noah Sanders, Tommy Mulder, Ella Harvey, Taveon Colston and Rose Jewell; junior Erica Hayes; sophomores Maddie Updike, Jacob Sanders, Nate Caudill, Eric Ford, Jermaine Calloway, Luke Yoshida, Raiven Mitchell, Desirai Mitchell, Christina Howard, Summer Doris, Jessica McDonald, Joss Harvey, Jake Juip, Leo Zeng, Felix Swanson and Robert Chen; and freshmen Max Goerlich, Matthew Nicholson and Claire Juip.

We have numerous adult mentors who help make this team successful, Galea said. This team would not be what it is without their commitment of time and talent that help these kids maximize their learning through the program. These mentors are parents of current team members, parents of team alumni, alumni of the team, other Liggett faculty, as well as employees from our sponsors. We are forever grateful to all of our sponsors who help make this life-changing program possible. Additionally, I would like to thank every team who has ever helped us over the past 13 years. They have taught us through their example, helped us resolve technical problems, assisted us with outreach, encouraged us, and celebrated our successes. FIRST truly is more than robots.

The students also thanked their mentors and coach for all of their help and hard work.

It takes a lot of time and effort, but students said being on the robotics team is enjoyable.

My favorite part of being on theroboticsteam is going to competitions, working with other teams and playing in matches, Haladjian said. The energy at competitions is unparalleled, and it is always a lot of fun to see the robots that other teams have built.

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Liggetts Knights conquer the robotics world - C&G Newspapers