H.O.B. hosts Bots at the Beach competition
H.O.Brittingham Elementary hosted the inaugural Bots at the Beach competition at Cape Henlopen High School gymnasium Jan. 19. The competition was part of the Vex IQ Challenge.
Participating elementary schools were H.O. Brittingham, Long Neck, Georgetown and John M. Clayton.
Middle school-level teams included Dark Side Robotics from Felton; HyperTec from Salisbury, Md,; and Georgetown Middle School.
This year’s challenge titled, Next Level, was played on a four-by-eight-foot rectangular field. In the 60-second teamwork challenge, two teams, with two drivers per team, worked together to score as many points as possible.
Individual teams showcased their abilities in the robot driving skills and programming challenges.
“This was the first time we’ve hosted an event like this,” said Ned Gladfelter, H.O.Brittingham principal, and emcee for Bots at the Beach. “Taking that into consideration, I don’t think it could have run more smoothly! Everyone had a great time and both the students, parents and advisors seemed to really enjoy their day. These competitions are an excellent way for our students to share their talents with others.”
Out of the 22 teams that competed, 10 teams made the finals and were then paired into five alliances. H.O. Brittingham made up three of the six elementary schools in the finals, and its teams finished the day in second- and third-place.
“I couldn’t be more proud of each team and the hard work they put into their robots,” said Mark Morey, H.O. Brittingham teacher and adviser to the Vex club. “Our H.O.B students put in hours worth of work; designing, testing, and practicing their driving skills with their robots for this challenge. I’m very happy with not only how they did in the competition, but with their display of teamwork and sportsmanship throughout the day.”
