Team RUSH robotics at Clarkston High School started as a capstone project for its engineering program.
It has become a year-long, life-changing activity for hundreds of students over the past 10 years.
‘It’s not just the robot ? they work together, do things for other people in the community, outreach programs,? said Kyle Hughes, OSMTech teacher at the high school. ‘It’s amazing, makes you feel good all over ? these kids are going to make a difference in the world. That’s why I work so hard.?
After a successful season, including finishing in the semi-finals, 13th out of 86 teams at the national championships in Atlanta, Ga., the team is already preparing for next year.
This summer, they will participate in Independence Day and Labor Day parades and picnics, and sponsor Lego robotics teams in the elementary schools, their ‘minor leagues,? Hughes said.
‘We’re supposed to be in our downtime, but we’re still meeting three times a week,? she said.
Rules and specifications for this year’s FIRST competition were released in January. Teams then had six weeks to design and build their robots. During this time, Team RUSH put in almost 5,000 hours of work.
They know because they bought a workplace time clock, and students clocked in and out.
‘That was just to build it,? Hughes said.
To make the work manageable, the team is divided into subteams, including chassis, mechanism, design, programming, and business.
The business team provides opportunities for non-engineers.
‘We do the paper work and fundraising,? said Zach Kerr, business-team captain.
During competition, business-team members act as scouts, observing other teams? robots and gathering information. At the start of games, the six teams involved are divided into two ‘alliances,? three teams each.
Robot design vary widely, so knowing as much as possible about other teams helps score points.
Amanda Grix, a junior who will take over the business team next year, takes pictures and video records other robots in action.
‘I collected data on who would make a good alliance partner,? Grix said.
Kerr also picked up some engineering along the way.
‘I learned how robots work and why, the motors, torque, power, weight,? he said.
Michael Zukoff, on the mechanism team, worked on the robot’s claw, required to pick up, carry and place inner tubes for points.
To construct and assemble parts, he used the lathe, drill press, hand saw, and 3-D CAD programs. Prototypes were equipped with a claw, then with something resembling a pickle picker, then its final design, a set of opposing rollers.
‘The whole design changed,? he said.
The claw had trouble handling the plastic inner tubes, while the rollers suck in and shoot them out. Weight was an issue, so they changed materials from metal to plastic.
‘That made it lightweight ? it worked better,? he said.
Kathryn Downey, sophomore, worked on the chassis team, responsible for giving the robot mobility and power.
The robot was equipped with two omni, all-direction wheels for easy turning, and four regular wheels.
The robot picks up and moves inner tubes at one end, and at the other can drop a ramp onto which two alliance robots can trundle.
RUSH stands for Respect, Unity, Spirit, and Heart.
‘It’s like a family,? said Michael Zukoff. ‘Everyone has fun.?
‘When I first heard about the team, I thought it sounded cool,? Grix said.
‘A lot of my friends said how great it is, so I thought I would try it out,? Downey said. ‘It’s great. I’m definitely coming back next year.?
OSMTech (Oakland Science, Mathematics, and Technology) Academy, based at Clarkston High, offers integrated curriculum in science, math, and technology. Programs including Team RUSH offer opportunities for cooperation and hands-on work.
More than 32,500 high-school students on 1,300 teams from Brazil, Canada, Israel, Mexico, Netherlands, U.K., and every state in the U.S. participated in this year’s competition.
Inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people.
In 1992, the FIRST Robotics Competition began with 28 teams. This season, more than 1,300 teams took part.
For more information on Team RUSH, check its Web site at www.teamrush27.net