Morris School robotics team going to world championships
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After a year of building and rebuilding, competing and succeeding, the Morris School robotics team, Blue Bombur, is headed for the world championship.
The VEX Robotics World Championship will be held in Dallas, Texas, from May 6 to 14 with 60 countries competing for the top prize.
“They’re incredibly excited. This has been one of the goals they set themselves this year,” said robotics coach JP Jamieson.
The team has competed in three tournaments and won in two. Their last tournament was held in Minnesota where they finished 14th in the 60-team tournament, it was enough to see them advance to the Worlds representing Manitoba.
“I could see us going pretty well at the worlds for our first time especially for a fact that I can see us doing pretty well for a first-year team,” said builder Josh Hildebrandt. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to win it because there are teams that are better than us with much more experience, but for a first-year team I think we can represent the school and community pretty well.”
One of the strategies that Blue Bomber implemented to win in Minnesota’s Red River Valley VEX V5 Robotics Competition was to put a conveyor belt on their robot which could collect a lot more rings quicker than the claw they had before. Hildebrandt said he takes apart and rebuilds the robot after every tournament, each time improving on the design.
Hildebrandt said Blue Bombur will be going up against teams with $48,000 US budgets and years of experience. The team is currently using robots and tournament ring and supplies loaned from the Manitoba Association of Education Technology Leaders. They have to give the equipment back in May after the Worlds.
“…we have to return it so it can go to another school so that they can get to experience this robotics program,” said Jamieson. “We are looking to buy our own robot ring and buy the game pieces and buy some robots because we have to return them otherwise.”
To get their own robot, ring, and supplies, the team needs to raise about $7,000 plus they have to fundraise to go to the Worlds which is another $10,000 for transportation, insurance, lodging, and other costs.
To raise funds, Blue Bombur is kicking off their fundraising on Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. at the MMJHL Pembina Valley Twisters game. They’ll be putting on demonstrations prior to the game and at intermission with help from audience members.
“The community support here has been fantastic from the Morris Chamber of Commerce to individual businesses and sponsors, including some in Winnipeg. I think that as more Manitobans have an opportunity to see this is a real opportunity for growth and it will get more kids excited in competing in a fun and educational way and I think it will lead to some really positive futures,” said Jamieson.