ESCANABA – Robots are invading the Escanaba High School this weekend. Students from about 35 schools in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula are competing today in the FIRST Robotics District Competition.

Gladstone coach Tim Barron the team builds their robots to complete a certain task.

“This year’s game is called Aerial Assist. The robots have to be able to shoot, pass and catch an exercise ball in a 2 1/2 minute match. A team of three robots plays against another team of three robots and the highest score at the end of the 2 1/2 minutes wins that match,” Barron said.

 

VIDEO: Chad Parks describes the robot that the Gladstone BraveBots built

 

High School Senior Kim Kennedy joined the team for the first time this year. She has been helping out with electronics.

“We mounted all of the equipment and did the wiring. That’s mainly what electronic did. And then, we gave it to programming who made sure everything would run so we could control it,” said Kennedy.

Part of the process to make sure the robot works the way it is suppose to. Kennedy says they had to change their design slightly to make it work. Barron says trouble shooting like that gives the students real life experiences.

The Gladstone Bravbots have 38 students and 20 mentors working on their robot.