The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

Local news

Related Photos

  • Chisholm Robotics Team members pause for a portrait next to their Senior Solutions competition board Friday. The students, under the direction of instructor Roy Bartnick, placed second in programming during the 2012-2013 Oklahoma FLL Championship Tournament. (Staff Photo by BONNIE VCULEK)

    Chisholm Robotics Team_3_BV.jpg

Discussion

December 7, 2012

Robotics a team effort

By Phyllis Zorn, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle

NORTH ENID, Okla. — Chisholm Public Schools’ robotics team did well this year, going up to statewide competition and bringing home three trophies.

The team, which recently finished its third year in competition, had the agenda of designing a robot that somehow could benefit the elderly. A glimpse of what they might be designing was given to them at the end of last school year’s tournament round.

“At the end of our last competition, they gave us the title of ‘Senior Solutions,’” said Cheyann Sales, an eighth-grader who has been on the team three years.

But the title of this year’s competition round was all they got at that time. They didn’t get the explanation of this year’s specific competition parameters until September.

Building a robot is a team effort. Coming up with the specific robot to take to competition was a matter of creative ideas, trial, error and change. Team members imagined, planned and came up with their ideas, then built, experimented and changed what didn’t work so well.

The goal was to build a robot that they could program to run a designated course. At competition, the team gets points for each maneuver the robot makes.

Brent Tilley, an eighth-grader who also has been on the robotics team three years, said the team tried building a robot that moved on tracks, but that wasn’t as satisfactory as they hoped.

“We came together and found a compromise that used big wheels,” Brent said.

At tournament, the team is judged on more than just the robot and how it performs, Cheyann said. They also are judged on professionalism, teamwork, their creative presentation and the technical explanation of what the robot can do.

In order to build a better robot, the team consulted with Enid resident Lanella Hack.

“We asked our 60-plus expert, and she shared with us some of her medical issues,” Cheyann said.

Team members supplemented that with additional research, then designed a futuristic telemedicine consultation system to allow an elderly person to consult with their physician from their own home.

Team members are Nate Edwards, son of Eric and Shayla Edwards; Krese Smith, son of Kyle and Darla Smith; Danielle Dick, daughter of John and Tonia Dick; Ryan Vance, son of Mitch and Lorna Vance; Bryce Morris, son of Scott and Summer Morris; Brent Tilley, son of Roydon and Lois Tilley; Zac Tucker, son of Gary and Becky Tucker; Jacob Tarrant, son of Jeff and Angie Tarrant; Cheyann Sales, daughter of Kent and Cheryl Sales; Carleigh Stallcup, daughter of Roy and Kimberly Bartnick and Richard and Shiela Stallcup; and Bradley Rucker, son of Shannon Shelite. Coaches are Kimberly Bartnick, Roy Bartnick and Gary Tucker.

Text Only
Local news