The joy of competition - Shorewood's Team Pronto in robotics event

Team Pronto's robot Wulfie climbs a
12 foot jungle gym
Photo by Kevin Crader

By Wesley Proudlove, Advisor

This last week Thursday, Friday and Saturday Shorelines School District Team Pronto Robotics competed at Century Link Field in Seattle. The event had 64 teams competing to create a robot over 6 weeks period.

At the competition the robots had to play a game of ultimate frisbee not only throwing a frisbee with human help but on their own. Points are either scored by throwing a frisbee into a goal and or then climbing a jungle gym set up in the center of the playing field all in under 3 minutes.

2013 Team Pronto - Shorewood Robotics Team

Six weeks to build and program a robot

Over a 6 week period in January and February Team Pronto designed, built and programed a robot. Team Pronto's robot was built to be a shot blocking-climbing robot. The robot was one of the smallest we have built in our 5 years as a team, at 60 inches tall and 79 pounds. Wulfie (name given to this year's robot) was created by the students with help from mentors from Boeing, Microsoft, F5, Shoreline School District, and student parents.

Inspection and practice

Thursday of the event is inspection and practice as the team gets to know the competition field on this day. The robot and students got off to a blazing start Friday. Wulfie blocked shots from other opponents robots and climbed the lower levels of the jungle gym in star fashion. Team Pronto was ranked 1st out of 64 at the end of the first of 9 rounds. As the competition wore on all teams started to adjust their play while forming alliances with competing teams to improve game play.

Safety Award

Also during the event all 64 teams are judged on safety not only during play but also in the pit area where all the repairs for robots are done. The pits are not just for team members but the thousands of visitors that come to these events.

Team Pronto has a new Safety Captain this year in sophomore Shane Baden. Team Pronto has an outstanding history over the past 5 years of always winning at least one safety award at each event they have entered. There are only 2 safety awards given out at each event every year. Safety Captains have to interview with national safety monitors from Underwriters Laboratories and FRC event judges. Shane was awarded the Friday Safety Award for not only keeping Team Pronto safe, but also for going to the other 63 teams and helping them operate safely. Shane now continues the streak of 8 for 8 safety awards.

Chief Advisor Wes Proudlove
before one of the rounds
Photo by Kevin Crader

Joy was undampened

Saturday afternoon teams are chosen to compete in the finals. Of the 64 teams competing only 8 teams are able to create alliances for the final rounds from the remaining 56 teams. This year Team Pronto was not chosen to play in the final rounds but that did not dampen the joy of team members or mentors.

This is Team Pronto's 5th year of competition. Each year is different and each challenge is greater then the last. The students involved in the First Robotics program has now exceeded 110,000 world wide. It will not be long until these students become the engineers, technicians, and problem solvers of all of our futures.

Can't wait for the next year

I can't wait to see what next year brings to Team Pronto but I am sure of a few things. High school students will have more energy then adult mentors. Next years challenge will be more complicated then previous years. Students will surprise us all with their knowledge, talent and overall ability to work with others while building a brighter future for us all.