By LISA PERKINS
TRAVERSE CITY -- The game was LUNACY -- the players were robots equipped with slippery wheels and payload trailers on a mission to collect and score orbit balls in their opposing teams' robots.
Hundreds of cheering fans urged on their favorite high school as team members directed their robot on the game field during the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics district competition held Saturday at Traverse City Central High School.
The competition challenges students from 40 Michigan high schools, working with professional mentors, to design and build a robot to contend in a high tech sporting event that measures the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration and the determination of students. After six weeks of intense building and testing in the robotics lab, teams compete with hopes of qualifying for the national level event, to be held April 16-18 in Atlanta, Ga.
Worldwide, more than 42,000 students on 1,680 teams take on the challenge of building a state-of-the-art robot, designed to complete specific tasks using a standard kit of parts and a common set of rules.
"This is known as the only sport where everyone can go pro, everyone can become an engineer," said John Failor, director of the Sci-Ma-Tech program at Traverse City Central High School who played host to the first high school district level competition in the country.
"Competitions are typically held at a university at the regional level, we are the first high school in the country to hold a district level event," said Failor, noting that more events give teams more opportunities to compete.
While the team from Muskegon took the top spot in regional rankings, Traverse City Central's Sci-Ma-Tech team earned the Imagery Award. Teams compete for honors and recognition that reward design excellence, sportsmanship and teamwork.
Rookie competitor, 15-year-old Abraham Aiyash from Hamtramck High School, was thrilled to be competing, win or lose.
"I love everything about being here, the energy in the air, there is nothing I don't like," said Aiyash, who plans to continue competing on the FIRST team throughout his high school career.
"I am a forever procrastinator and I have learned to get things done on a deadline; it has been really good for me," Aiyash said.
He was also quick to point out that you don't have to be a nerd to compete.
"We have kids on our team who play football and are on other teams, we all love it," he said.
