U-46 academy students set for robotics contest

Bartlett High School Academy of Science, Engineering and High Technology has high-achieving students participating in the nation's oldest robotic competition

Since 1986, the National Robotics Challenge has been creatively testing the students of today to develop the engineers for tomorrow. As the nation's oldest robotic and engineering competition, the focus for this event has continually been on educating students through imaginative design challenges and exciting robotic battles. Bartlett High School has two teams of students who have been accepted into the competition.

The National Robotics Challenge has become one of the premier robotics and engineering events in the nation. Participants must first choose from over a dozen robotic contests and then create their project - from initial design to assembly and testing. Some of the events for the competition include SUMO Robot, Art Robot, Mini-SUMO Robot, Robot Maze and Top-of-the-Hill.

"It's all about the learning," stated Tad Douce, a technical teacher and the event's manager. "When Tom Meravi and Dr. (James) Hannemann started this competition, the focus was on creating excitement for the students in the field of engineering. It is great to see teams come back year after year and increase their robots' capabilities. For the participants, it is not just a game but an experience."

Bartlett High School Academy of Science, Engineering and High Technology is the model school for the competition with the academy's focus on challenging students in the fields of mathematics and science. This year, the academy was able to develop two teams capable of participating in the competition: Team DJS and Team SUMObot. Team DJS is entering the Top-of-the-Hill competition and consists of Diana Pressney, Jamille Dictado, and Xiuli Shen. Team SUMObot's participants include Kishan Modi, Kelly Jaynes and Thomas Niewara. The co-sponsors for both teams are Colleen Brandner and John Pritchard, both teachers at the academy. The teams from Bartlett are looking forward to achieving success in their selected events.

As well as designing the robot, the students also received support from local businesses. For example, Team SUMObot has elicited support for the team with product or service donations from: JW Express (transportation and logistics); Centerline Models (engineering services); and WITTENSTEIN Inc. (motion components).

"We are proud to support the academy and its participation in the NRC," stated Tim Herbst, CEO of Wittenstein, a Bartlett-based manufacturer of motion components. "It is inspiring to see today's students developing skills to be tomorrow's engineers."

The 2009 event will be held April 17-18 in Marion, Ohio. It boasts 50 teams from eight states. A total of over 500 student and mentoring participants are expected. For information, visit www.nationalroboticschallenge.org.

For information about the Bartlett High School Academy of Science, Engineering and High Technology, visit the U-46 Web site at www.u-46.org.