Georgetown District High School’s (GDHS) FIRST Robotics team has a lot to look forward to.
The 4976 Revolt Robotics group will be putting their engineering skills to the test at this year's tournament, called Crescendo. As the name suggests, it will have a musical theme.
The team will start with two local competitions - the first in Newmarket on March 9 and 10, followed by one at McMaster University on March 29 and 30.
There's a lot on the line at these competitions. The team's constructed robot's performance will determine if they're eligible to attend the world competition in Houston Texas - a feat they have achieved before.
Team captain and 12th-grader Claire Bouzane says she's “feeling good” about the group's chances for 2024.
“A lot of it (at this year's competition) is mechanisms we’ve made before," she said, noting there's plenty of experience on the team.
FIRST Robotics is an international competition of high school students vying to see who can make the most versatile robot.
Their creations are put through their paces in several timed scenarios. Sometimes they shoot balls into a basketball-like hoop and other times they move foam rings into designated spots.
Not only do GDHS students earn credits for every year they're on the team, they become blips on the radars of industry professionals who serve as mentors and may give them a job in the future.
“The mentors that we have say their companies would rather have someone with hands-on experience on a robotics team than someone who finished university,” said teacher and coach Danny Samaroo.
Team 4976 placed 19th out of 80 teams in Houston last year. Though doing better than three-quarters of all the entrants is commendable to the average person, Samaroo and Bouzane feel like that isn’t as good as their potential.
“In the past, we have done really well. In our best year ever (2017), we were ranked number four in the world,” Samaroo said.
Being part of the competition is an expensive venture. Application fees, travel and resource costs add up. Samaroo and Bouzane have local sponsors like HeyRay.ca and Canadian Tire, and they're busy looking for more.
The team is also accepting donations at Team4976.com and SchoolCashOnline.com. Cash or cheques can be submitted to GDHS (donors must specify the contribution is for the school's robotics team).
Those wanting to follow the progress of the team can stay tuned on Instagram @revoltrobotics.
