No fingers crossed, no holding of breath - the Walpole Robotics Revolution qualified early for the New England District Championships, which are to be held at Worcester Polytechnic University from April 11-13.
After two outstanding outings at Bridgewater/Raynham Regional High School and Bryant University, the FRC team scored enough qualification points to to earn a spot at the regional event. They are also on track to qualify for the World Championships in Detroit at the Cobo Center and Ford Field. In both district events, the team was an alliance captain and made it to the semifinals. They also won the Motorola Solutions Foundation Quality Award, celebrating machine robustness in concept and fabrication, and the Xerox Creativity Award, which recognizes creativity in design, use of component, or strategy of play. This season’s game is called Deep Space, in honor the 50-year anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. The game pieces are rockets, cargo ships and hatch panels, making for a visually entertaining game.
There are currently 40 students and 20 mentors who have been working hard since last September, when training began. Students are programming, constructing, CADing, wiring, creating apps, as well as learning valuable lessons in teamwork, planning, community service and fundraising.
Upcoming public events include the District Championship at WPI (April 11-13 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.), April 20 Yard Sale at Plimpton School (next to WHS), and May 11 Walpole Day, and the annual Bottle and Can Drive on June 8 followed by demonstrations at the Village Fair. To learn more about the team, upcoming events and their current fundraising campaign, visit www.walpolerobotics.org.
