Team Chaos 2013

   GSB is a busy place.  It's hard to keep track of the all the activities our students and faculty engage in.  I'd like to use this post to highlight one activity - robotics - that is not particularly well known. It's a shame.  Robotics is a terrific activity; in fact, it's virtually the poster child for what has come to be known as 21st century learning.
   What's involved in 21st century learning?  Among the skills commonly associated with the phrase are collaborative learning, the utilization of digital technologies (hardware and software), problem solving and critical thinking.  Robotics utilizes all these skills in a competitive environment that helps students strive to do their best.
   Our school's team goes by the moniker "Team Chaos."  It's a tip of the hat to the world of robotics, a somewhat frenetic place where on-the-fly thinking is necessary and where the the competition arena can seem like a cross between a championship basketball game and Mardi Gras.
   The work begins months before the competitions when teams learn about the year's challenge.  This year, teams needed to create robots that could accomplish two skills: throw frisbees through an opening and lift themselves off the ground onto a sort of pyramidal jungle-gym.  Our team, using newly created space in the art barn, got to work.  Two faculty mentors, Len Grabowski and John Taeschler worked with upper school students and volunteer engineers.  Designs were examined and scrapped. New designs were drawn. Models were built. Tests were done.  Months later, Team Chaos, also known as Team #2458, had a working robot.
   This year's first competition was held at Mt. Olive H.S. the week-end of March 23.  Over two days, team members competed in the arena and worked in the pit area, constantly adjusting and refining the robot's mechanisms.  I stopped by on Saturday to watch the competition. The following video will give you a sense of what a First Robotics competition day is like. 

    It's worth a mention that one team member, senior Ben Brown, built an iOS app for the GSB team.  The app is searchable in the iPhone app store as "FRC 2013."  The app gives information about the First Robotics organization and specific information about GSB's robot #2458. Here's the home page: