Tech organizations across Indiana have once again chosen Crawfordsville High School as the site for team robotics state championships.
Matchplay is set to begin with opening ceremonies at 10:30 a.m.. The all-day challenge will culminate with an awards ceremony, set for 5:30 p.m.
The event, sponsored by FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), will be attended by more than 20 teams from high schools around the state.
The top two teams from today’s championships will move on to represent Indiana at the FIRST Championship in Houston from April 20-23. FIRST is an acronym for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.”
Crawfordsville’s robotics team, known as 535 TOBOR (“robot” spelled backward), is a familiar sight at the state championships, qualifying to participate for three consecutive years.
The Crawfordsville club meets for regular practices on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays each week, and will add Mondays and Wednesdays during competition weeks.
“We are extremely excited to be able to host the best and brightest from all over Indiana this weekend at the FIRST Technology Challenge State Championship,” Crawfordsville’s Jared Kaminski said. “Hosting the event at Crawfordsville High School seems to be somewhat of a tradition, and it is one that our team is happy to take on every year in order to serve as ambassadors to engineers and robot enthusiasts all around the state.”
The TOBOR team also recently won the INSPIRE Award — the highest award in high school team robotics.
“Winning the Inspire award simply speaks to the incredible amount of hard work that the team put in this year. Everyone on the team works extensively to provide their own time and talents into not only constructing a functioning robot, but doing so much good beyond that as well,” Kaminsi said. “The Inspire Award isn’t only about engineering, but is about the attitude and gracious professionalism that teams are called to strive for. Our team showed that they have that this year.
The teams will be engaging in matchplay throughout the day. From bot battles to mazes to critical problem solving, various types of challenges will be featured.
Teams must also raise funds, design and market their team brand and host community outreach events to participate, while tens of millions of dollars in scholarships are up for grabs.
Other qualifying teams include: MachaHampsters, Greenwood; Westside Black, West Lafayette; Panic in the Buildroom, Greenwood; CC Sparks, Lafayette; The Gas Attendants, Elkhart; Green Machine, Greenwood; Wired Woodmen, Greenwood; Jug Rox Robotics, Shoals; Genesis, Lafayette; I.C.E. Robotics, Bloomington; Kernel Panic, Columbus; The Fire Wires, Granger; Warrior Tech, Denver; Pixelated, Granger; Blackout, Denver; [Insert Name Here], Frankfort; XLR8, Granger; Picked Last in Gym Class, Mishawaka; Classy Roborioles, Avon; Squirrel!, Granger; MIwSHines, Mishawaka; CTF, Bedford; and Westside Red, West Lafayette.
For more information, visit the team’s Instagram page at www.instagram.com/535tobor.