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  • Jeremy Boren and Kaylee Hartman put some of the finishing touches on Red River’s robot, which will soon be entered in FIRST competition. Rebeka Rutledge/The Duncan Banner

    Jeremy Boren and Kaylee Hartman put some of the finishing touches on Red River’s robot, which will soon be entered in FIRST competition.

  • David Shaw watches as Carter David makes a few adjustments during a test run of the robot. Rebeka "Beka" Rutledge

    David Shaw watches as Carter David makes a few adjustments during a test run of the robot.
February 22, 2012

Robotic revelry

Red River team eyes Rebound Rumble

Rebeka Rutledge The Duncan Banner

DUNCAN — For the second consecutive year, Red River Technology Center’s Robotics Team has entered the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics competition, which will be held Mar. 29-31, in Oklahoma City.

A team of 12 high school juniors and seniors from Duncan, Waurika, Central High and Bray-Doyle, who attend RRTC, worked together to construct a robot to participate in this year’s contest.

It is a universal event, in which teams from across the globe will come to participate.

The FIRST theme for this year is “Rebound Rumble,” and each team’s robot must be able to accomplish a multitude of tasks, including shooting a basketball.

The robots not only need it shoot the ball, but they must be able to pick it up, cross a bridge at half-court and finish balanced on that bridge.

“We had six weeks to build (a robot) to accomplish that set of goals,” said David Shaw, instructor for the team. “We got the instructions in January and we have to be done by (Feb. 21) at midnight.”

Although this is Shaw’s first year at RRTC and initial year with the robotics team, a few of the students are in a second year of participation. Jeremy Boren, a senior from Waurika, said getting experience last year has helped him with construction of this year’s robot entry.

“I knew most of it already and that made it easier, but I learned to use a heat gun,” he said. “It’s fun, and that’s really all you need.”

Part of the fun and satisfaction for the students comes from spending several hours in the evening each week with teammates.

Shaw said in the past six weeks the team members have spent at least three hours for four to five nights a week working at the school on their robot.

Although Boren was acquainted with many teammates beforehand, this gave the group a chance to really get to know one another.

“There is a lot of bonding and sometimes, a lot of head slaps,” Boren said.

However, the real fun begins when they head to competition.

Knowing what he’s in for this year has Boren “psyched” to be participating again. He felt it may be the best spectator sport in the world.

“It’s exciting — think of a basketball or football game, and multiply it by five,” Boren said, of the competition. “You had a hand in what is going on, you actually did something with (the robot).”

The students hand-built the majority of the machine and worked on controls to make certain it functions as they want. Only brackets and the robot’s launching system were manufactured by Halliburton specifically for the team.

“They did that for us for free and it’s greatly appreciated,” said Shaw.

Behind all of the controls to the machine is Carter David. Although this is his first year on the team, he’s just as excited about the project as the veterans.

“It’s all new to me, but I really like it,” he said.

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