Aviano Robotics Team conquers regional, competes at international championship

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Ryan Whitney
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  Judging by its size, the casual observer may not realize the capabilities of Robotica Santi, a one-foot, 40-pound machine at Aviano Air Base.

But this marrying of plastic, metal, sensors, motors, receivers and ingenuity was judged on everything but size April 23-27, when Aviano High School Students became the first Department of Defense Education Activities team to compete in the F.I.R.S.T. Robotics World Championship in St. Louis.

"They made history by being the first DODEA team to win a regional competition and compete in the world championship, but it wasn't easy and they put a lot of long days into making sure they were as competitive as they could be," said David Izzo, AHS staff member and Robotics Team mentor. "The hard work and dedication the team put in during our first year of competing really paid off, and I couldn't be more proud of them and their accomplishments,"

During the two competitions, teams were challenged to use robots to transport different weighted rings from the walls of a square arena onto a three-by-three grid. Extra points were awarded based on the height at which the ring was placed, completing a sequence of three rings in a line, and putting heavier rings onto a separate post located in the corner of the ring.

"The rings are the same when you look at them; the only thing that sets them apart is a slight weight change that most people wouldn't notice," said Songar Ideus, team coach and AHS student. "Our robot could pick two rings up at a time, and if one of those was the heavier ring it would show us an indicator light so we would know what we were working with."

At the start of each match, each robot's autonomous programming was tested. For 30 seconds, the robot would transport rings to a specific point identified by infrared sensors, all without the use of human controls.

"A lot of the teams in Germany opted out of that phase of the competition, hoping to make up for it later on, but this was where our programmer's hard work came through" said Nathaniel Schaul, ART member. "Just being able to compete was worth the experience, but winning the regional competition in Germany and having the opportunity to go to St. Louis was something else."

Even though the national competition operated under the same rules and regulations as the regional competition, a new challenge presented itself for the young group to overcome: raising money to travel more than 4,000 miles to compete.

"After the win, the Aviano community really rallied around the team to help them raise the funds that they needed to make it to the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Izzo. "It was great to see so many different organizations come together for the purpose of furthering interest in education."

Upon arrival, the Aviano Robotics Team competed against more than 120 other teams from around the world.

"We definitely felt like the underdogs; all the other teams had elaborate displays and themes and lights, and we had a hard case to carry our robot around in, but it was a great experience and a lot different than anything we expected," said Ideus. "Everyone was swapping ideas and learning from each other, when I was expecting everyone to be guarding everything about their setup."

Their team's final record during the world championship was a respectable 4-4, but not enough to claim the title of world's best team.

"We learned a lot by participating in this event as teams were always ready to share ideas with other clubs on how they approached the design challenge," said Izzo. "The concept of gracious professionalism is a constant at these events, with teams showing great support and respect for each other. There are no losers."

Although this year's competition has come to a close, the ART is already working on improving their skills and techniques for next year's competition.

"This was a great experience for everyone that had the opportunity to participate, and we have Aviano to thank for the opportunity," agreed Schaul. "We learned a lot from the other teams we competed against, and I think next year, with everyone's support, we can make it even further."