Robotics competition reveals hours of hard work by students | WBMA – Alabama’s News Leader

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala.

Students from across the state battling for robotic supremacy.

The premise is that students take classroom skills then apply those same skills in a practical manner.

Two engineering students from Oak Mountain High School, and their mentor, tell ABC 33/40 the students design the robots all by themselves.

400 students represented 40 schools. Oak Mountain High School Student Ryan Cruce said the goal of the robotics competition was simple. Cruce told ABC 33/40, "Score as many points as possible. Out score the other team." This year's theme is stars and cubes. For every match, two alliances face-off. Each alliance can score points by throwing or pushing the objects under the fence onto their opponents side of the square. Cruce explained the design of his robot is based on real-word equipment like a bulldozer. "I just thought of it," said Cruce. "I just of something that would be able to score game objects without having to throw stuff over."

Classmate Omar Zuaiter said what happens at the robotics competition comes from hours of work in the classroom. Zuaiter said, "The classroom we design and we use the engineering design process, so that we can come up with the best robots possible for the competition."

Paula Hughes is the engineering teacher for the OMHS robotics team. Hughes said the students are easily engrossed by the design process. Hughes said, "I think they just enjoy designing something that they can see actually work." Hughes said her students, often design the robots, without much of her help. "I try to guide them and answer any questions that they may have," Hughes said. "But they come up with bot design, do all of the programming, all of that on their own."

This saturday's competition was a qualifier for the larger state meet. The state championship will be March 4th at Jacksonville State University.

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Robotics competition reveals hours of hard work by students | WBMA - Alabama's News Leader