Robotics is more than just metal screws and remote controllers.
Middle school and high school students from across Connecticut say they’re learning valuable skills to problem solve and think critically.
They put those skills on display this week at the VEX Robotics V5 State Championships in Bridgeport.
Robotics tables filled the Total Mortgage Arena. So did lots of chatter as contestants eagerly worked their machines and demonstrated live performances.
The competition brought in more than 100 of the best middle school and high school robotics teams across the state.
School teams have been working since last fall to perfect their robots. Students looked proudly on as their creations stood on tables and drove across floors.
Raman Kasabrukhau – a competitor from Plainville High School – showed off his team’s creation, a metallic motor vehicle nearly 18 inches tall.
“It’s pretty good, it’s very consistent,” he said. “When you’re driving it, you just know what’s gonna happen with the robot. It pushes very, very well.”
VEX Robotics is a program that teaches students how to design and build robots. It also assists them in developing STEM skills.
This week’s event is “a showcase of Connecticut’s brightest young minds in STEM,” said Bill McDonough, the championship director.
The championship spotlights “the growing impact of robotics education and represents the future of innovation and technology in our state,” McDonough said in a statement.
Qualifying teams will advance to the world championship in Texas in May.
Students competing at the Bridgeport event engage in hands-on lessons, training and coaching, according to Christopher Stone, director of CT STEM Academy, a sponsor of the competition.
“Integrating STEM into youth schools is crucial for fostering the next generation of thinkers, problem solvers and innovators,” Stone said.
To prepare for the event in Bridgeport, a team from Broadview Middle School in Danbury met for two-and-a-half hours, three days per week – for several months.
Danbury’s team had already won two out of three of its matches. But the team was not immune to robot construction challenges.
After their conveyer belt got stuck on a piece of metal and folded, the student engineers realized they needed more support beams. Quick thinking led them to attach the beams right before it was needed for competition.
Aside from teamwork, commitment and critical thinking, robotics is teaching students the importance of self-confidence and improvement.
Killingly High School junior Sebastian Sierakowski recalled last year’s competition when his team won the Innovative Award. His team’s goal this year was to claim that award again – along with more.
Sierakowsi’s robot, which he built by himself, works its “brain” to develop solutions.
Sierakowski, who wants to be an engineer, said the competition is helping him boost his engineering skills.
“I really stepped up, I built this entire robot, coded it on my own,” Sierakowski said. “And I’ve just taught myself a lot of stuff that is crucial right now.”
