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High school students compete in Northeast robotics competition

High school students compete in Northeast robotics competition

NORFOLK, NE – High school students put their robotics skills to the test recently at a VEX Robotics competition held at Northeast Community College.

Over 30 students on seven area high school teams competed with their robots that have been built using a standard kit of parts. Three teams from Battle Creek, two from Pierce and one each from O’Neill and South Sioux City participated.

Richard Chrisman, information technology instructor at Northeast, said this year’s competition featured a game called “Turning Point.”

“Competitors attempt to earn points by turning flags to the color of their alliance at different heights by firing baseball-sized balls at them. Competitors also earn points for turning over game objects called ‘caps’ to match the color of their alliance. They also earn points for parking their robot on the ‘Alliance parking’ platform or on the center platform.”

“High school teams work in alliances of two teams with a single robot from each team competing as an alliance against another alliance on the field during a match. Each match in the game has an autonomous segment in which the robot has been programmed to complete pre-determined tasks, followed by a driver control segment in which the students use a remote control to drive their robot to accomplish their goals.”

The teams competed in six qualifying matches to determine the seeding for the elimination rounds. Those rounds determined the top three places in the competition.

The team of Jimmy Loutzenhiser, Ethan Miller and Tanner Oestreich from Battle Creek took first place. Second place was awarded to Justin Beeks and Heydon Strope of O’Neill, while the team of Parker Anderson, Bill Arkfeld, Curtis Eichkoff, Brandon Lodge and Nick Schaecher, also of Battle Creek, took third.

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PHOTO CUTLINE 

 

A robotics team from Battle Creek High School awaits the results of a warmup round during the VEX Robotics competition held at Northeast Community College recently. Pictured (from left) are Jimmy Loutzenhiser, Tanner Oestreich and Ethan Miller, who went on to place first in the competition.