Local High School Students Show Off Their Handmade Robots

Submitted to Patch by Laura Rhodes.

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Come get a glimpse of the future!

This weekend, Woodside High School (WHS) will host CalGames 2012, a robotics competition organized by the Western Region Robotics Forum (WRRF).

Thirty-six teams of high school students and the robots they built will compete. The event takes place Friday and Saturday, Oct. 12 and 13, in the WHS main gym. Competition hours on Saturday will be 8 a.m.– 5 p.m.

In this exciting "Rebound Rumble" game, where 120-pound robots compete in three-versus-three alliances, the action is a combination of autonomous (software control) and remote control.

The robots will attempt to score as many of the basketballs in the hoops as possible during each two-minute-15-second match. Alliances are awarded bonus points if they are balanced on bridges at the end of the match.

This event will be as exciting for the spectators as it will be for the student participants. It is free and open to the public.

WHS' very own Team 100 Robotics Team - a.k.a. The Wildhats - will be competing with its 2012 robot, named Kraken. They'll be easy to spot, sporting their characteristic bright orange shirts, orange and black Dr. Seuss hats, and “dancing hat” mascot. Come and cheer us on!

Each year Team 100, which consists of students from Woodside, Carlmont, and Sequoia high schools, enters the FIRST Robotics Competition. This program provides a fascinating real-world engineering experience for the students and helps them discover the value of education and careers in science, technology, and math.

Students have the opportunity to learn first-hand about mechanics, electronics, fabrication, programming, animation, website design, and more, as part of this club.

All are welcome to join; our weekly meetings are at WHS in room G-6 on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m.

For more information about the club, or to make a donation to the team, e-mail Woodside faculty advisor Arlene Kolber at akolber@seq.org or check the team's website at www.team100.org. For more information on the CalGames 2012 event and the WRRF, see www.wrrf.org.

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