**[size=4][size=2]http://www.kokomotribune.com/story.asp?id=1381
Bots to trot[/size][/size]
By KATIE BURNS
Tribune staff writer
Thursday, February 19, 2004** [font=Verdana]These robots can play soccer and basketball, but can they do a chin-up afterward?[/font]
The TechnoKats at Kokomo High School and PantherTech at Western High School hope so. They must finish test driving and refining robots within a week to be eligible for competition. The teams have had only six weeks to design and build the robots, which play a new game every year.
“The game for this year is the most complex, leaves the most options for robots,” said Tyler Eglen, a senior, who drives the robot for PantherTech.
This year, the robots push 13-inch balls into a goal. A human player shoots the balls into another goal. The robot also places a 30-inch ball on top of a goal. Some of the goals stay in one place, but the robots can push around the other goals – and the other robots.
The robots earn extra points for pulling themselves up onto a bar 10 feet above the ground. This last task is easiest if the robot can climb a platform. Even if the robot crashes, the students will learn from the experience.
“The main point of the program is to give kids inspiration about something technology- or science-related that they can make into careers,” said Andy Baker, an engineer at Delphi Electronics & Safety who works with the TechnoKats.
TechnoKats
On Wednesday afternoon, the TechnoKats were changing gears – literally – in the Cinergy warehouse. To explain, team leader Brian Clawson, a senior, pointed to the robot’s arm.
“It goes way too fast up and down,” said Brian, who plans to study mechanical engineering.
He pointed out the other features of the robot. The claw at the end of the arm has a small wheel to pull in the bigger ball. The whole arm moves, as does a sort of wrist. The support for the arm moves, too, adding enough height for a hook to pull the 130-pound robot up onto the bar.
A rotating cylinder at the base of the robot pulls the smaller balls into a basket in the middle. Electronics also ride in the center. The robot can operate independently for the first 15 seconds of a two-minute two-on-two match, and then a driver takes over with a remote control.
Greg McCoy and Austin Butler, the other team leaders, said the game is better than ever this year.
“We’ve got a better kit of parts,” Greg said.
“Last year, your robot could pretty much be a box on wheels. This year, it’s a height game,” Austin said. “This year, you have to think about your engineering a little bit more than last year.”
The team leaders said they learn by working in their their shops, though they also enjoy the competition.
PantherTech
At Western High School, PantherTech was also planning to change gears. The robot is close to the weight limit, so the team hopes to replace a heavy gear that moves the arm with a lighter one.
The PantherTech robot is different than the TechnoKats’ robot, though. It has a collapsible claw at the end of the arm, and the claw actually grabs the bigger ball.
The robot herds smaller balls by dropping two bars that form a sort of cow catcher. It uses momentum to climb a platform – and is strong enough to pull girls on the team along the floor.
“I think we’re going to get it together and have time to practice,” said Joe Reel, one of three teachers who lead the team.
Last year, PantherTech teamed with the TechnoKats to win the regional in Chicago. PantherTech placed third in the championships, which attract hundreds of teams from around the world. Dennis Pogue, one of the teachers, said he hopes the team can live up to the high expectations.
“We’re hoping we can not embarrass ourselves this year,” he said.
Marietta Harrold, the third teacher, said the team has attracted a lot more girls this year. She added that the girls aren’t just pretty faces, either.
“I went from cheerleading to robotics,” said Jennifer Webb, who is practicing to be the human player who shoots the baskets. “I’ve learned so much, so much.”
Jennifer pointed out the black bar across the front of the robot as her work, and she said she’s helped with other odds and ends.
Jennifer also plays soccer but thinks the robotics competitions are even more exciting. While the PantherTech robot might not be able to do a chin-up in time, the team feels good about its chances.
Katie Burns may be reached at (765) 454-8587 or via e-mail at [email protected]
Open house:
The TechnoKats, Kokomo High School’s robotics team, will host an open house to show off their robot from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Cinergy, Defenbaugh Street and Park Avenue. The TechnoKats and PantherTech, Western High School’s robotics team, will be competing at regionals near Detroit and in Chicago in March. They will compete at the championships in Atlanta in April.