After months of planning and preparation, the Ramageddon Robotics team and Team 3616 are headed to Houston, TX to compete in the FIRST Championship. The competition will host more than 300 teams from across the globe adding unprecedented mechanisms to this year’s design challenge.
“Lafayette Parish is pleased to have not one, but two robotics teams compete in this year’s competition. Thanks to the hard work of the coaches and volunteers, our students are able to have this incredible opportunity to develop skills in the STEM field while also learning how to build community.” states Superintendent Irma Duplechain Trosclair.
Consisting of students from throughout the district, the Ramageddon Robotics team and Team 3616 received the new design challenge as recently as January and had to figure out how to add new features not seen in previous competitions. Each team had to brainstorm and analyze how to incorporate a mechanism to pick up cones and cubes that could reach various heights. They then spent hours designing, manufacturing, assembling, and programming the robot before they were ready for regional competition.
The Ramageddon Robotics Team, led by coach Philip Ryland, secured their spot in the world championship with their win at the Magnolia Regional Competition with their robot “Brass Monkey.” Team 3616, led by coach Lisa Ranney, earned their spot with a win at the Bayou Regional Tournament, where they also earned the FIRST Impact Award for their impact in the community.
About FIRST
FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18 (PreK-12) that can be facilitated in school or in structured afterschool programs. Boosted by a global support system of volunteers, educators, and sponsors that include over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, teams operate under a signature set of FIRST Core Values to conduct research, fundraise, design, build, and showcase their achievements during annual challenges. Learn more at https://www.firstinspires.org.
