After a mediocre 2010-2011 season, Walpole High School’s RoboRebels returned for a pre-season match on September 24 to battle with twelve of last years competitors at Messalonskee Middle School in Oakland, Maine. The event, “Mainely Spirit,” was comprised of last years game, “LogoMotion,” so all teams could use last year’s robots. With the Walpole High’s main robot and prototype packed, a fraction of the team ventured off to Oakland, Maine to prepare for the competition.
For this preseason competition, the robotics team and the team’s head mentor, Dustin Scott, chose to use the same robot from last year’s competition. The robotics team completed the mechanical body of the robot last spring. After, the complex part began when the computer savvy students on the team programmed this formally inert hunk of metal. During the spring competition, the robot responded to the computer it is linked with and performed specific commands of the controllers. Depending on the skill of the remote operator and the strength with which the robot has been built, team’s robots earned points and specific recognitions for the most precision, finesse and aggressiveness.
As it attempts to latch inflatable geometric tubes in a specific target area. At the end of match, points are awarded depending upon how many inflatables were successfully placed. After the numerous, demanding semi final rounds the top teams then chose which of their recent opponents they want to become their allies. Two schools join together to create a tag team of robots that attempt to win the top spot from the preliminary rounds. Then, the winning teams are declared, take their trophy and robot and go home with celebration in their hands. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to happen.
Thus, on Saturday September 24, Walpole High’s RoboRebels journeyed to the tournament in Oakland, Maine and proceeded to do battle with approximately 12 opponents, utilizing their battle-ready robot. While the RoboRebels’ prototype was packed and also functioning, they graciously gave it to a rookie team looking to start their own robotics team at their school. The robot-less squad stuck with Walpole’s not-ready-for-primetime prototype, and amazingly, this rookie team placed first in the tournament with the help of their WPI allies and irony of ironies, beat the RoboRebels heads up. The WPI allies definitely helped the rookie team score points, but with the addition of Walpole’s flawlessly made prototype, the allies were unstoppable. The prototype proved that the best offense is a great defense, managing to deflect many of its opponents attempts to score points.
Unfortunately, Walpole’s robot essentially didn’t move. The robot had technical difficulties connecting to the commanding computer and some of the mechanics were not functioning properly, leaving the RoboRebels in distraught.
Walpole’s main robot proved that it was prematurely put into battle, but the prototype was successful enough to win the whole competition. While the team was down for its loss of their robot, some hope was relinquished when the very prototype they built actually won. Mr. Scott’s outlook on the upcoming year is a positive one. He said, “If the Maine event is any indication it tells us that we have all the potential in the world, so long as we are organized and accountable.” To add to the hopeful success of this season, the team recently picked up two more mentors to add to the already successful group of leaders: Clause Hinck and Mrs. Paula Fontaine. Mr. Scott said, “As a whole, the makeup of our team this year is at least as strong as we’ve ever been and probably will be even better than what we’ve done in the past.” With the loss and the indirect win at the “Mainely Spirit” event this September, Walpole High’s RoboRebels are projected to have one of their best seasons.
