Monday, May 2, 2011

So What Is It They're Doing?

Robotics Championship 9

Well, I never did add more details yesterday morning. Slept a little late, then when downtown to shoot the flooding on the Mississippi (like this, for example). The outfit that sponsors the competition is called FIRST, which is an acronym for something-or-other whose last two words are science and technology. I can't find it on their web site. I also can't find an explanation of this competition, although there was a good one in the program book at the event.

As best I can gather, there are two sides, each with three robots. Each robot is from a different team so these "alliances" have to cooperate. The gizmos have to race around, pick up these inflatable shapes and hang them on rods on their own end. They may try to prevent an opponent from doing so. There are extra points for hanging the donuts in certain combinations on certain rods. It the last 15 seconds, the machines try to line up at four discs in the center with a tall metal pole rising from it. They release a mini robot onto the disc, which then climbs the pole in a second or two. The whole match takes just over 3 minutes. Confusing but exciting.


Downtown St. Louis 365 gets out the telephoto today.

Union Station By Telephoto


6 comments:

brattcat said...

I think I could barely manage to accomplish this myself...imagine designing a robot to do it all!

Olivier said...

la guerre des robots continuent, pas facile a faire rendre en photo, mais tres graphique avec toutes ces lettres

Oakland Daily Photo said...

I'm happy to see girls among the competitors. A Y chromosome is not required to be a science geek. Girl Power!!

cieldequimper said...

If you say it's exciting, then I'll have to believe you...

Antjas said...

While swimming this morning, a fellow swimmer told me he hadn't been in the pool since last Thursday. I asked if he had been traveling and he said yes, he was in St. Louis with his son. I asked if he was visiting colleges. He said that they visited Wash U, but they were there for the High School Robotics competition. He was shocked that I knew all about it. Thanks for letting me look so smart!! He said it was a lot of fun.

PJ said...

Young techies, such focus and so industrious.