Waipahu robotics team savors win
By James Gonser
Advertiser Central Bureau
WAIPAHU — Just like Julius Caesar, the Waipahu High School's rookie robotics team could have declared "I came, I saw, I conquered" after they took top honors in the FIRST Robotics Competition last month in California.
But they didn't. The team's motto is "If it ain't broke... you ain't trying," to show that they learn from their mistakes.
The 12 students from Waipahu High took 16th place among 52 teams during individual competition at the event March 23-24, but as part of an "alliance" with Waialua High and two San Jose, Calif. schools, they earned the Silicon Valley Regional Championship award at San Jose State University in California.
"Our goal as a rookie team was to finish in the top half," said Bill Speed, Waipahu physics teacher and team advisor. "The win didn't sink in until after we got home. I'm very happy they did so well."
The event, coordinated by For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Foundation, is a national engineering contest that immerses high school students in the world of engineering. Teaming up with engineers from businesses and universities, students get a hands-on, inside look at the engineering profession.
In six intense weeks, students and engineers work together to brainstorm, design, construct and test their "champion robot." The teams then compete in a tournament complete with referees and time clocks.
The team's robot, Kupu'eu, or Rascal, is 35 1/2 inches tall, weighs 117 pounds and has twin DC motors, a four-wheel chain drive and pneumatic tractor claws fore and aft.
"The main purpose is to connect students with engineers during time-sensitive projects," Speed said. "So kids interact with engineers to get the specs, designing, building, testing, modifying, crating and shipping of the robot done on time."
During the competition, teams have two minutes to score points by tossing balls into a cylinder-shaped goal, and use their robots to move the goals across the court to the end zone. Speed and agility on a "teeter-totter" bridge in the center of the court add to the total points.
The Waipahu team is comprised of captains Beverly Guiang and Windell Jones, and members Goldie Balbirona, Leiann Cadiz, Aiza Go, Charlyn Leonardo, Jennifer Paulo, Jomer Bautista, Darrel Cabias, Ross Gonda, Alan Delos Santos and Mark Respicio.
Mark Rognstad, Robert Anderson and Todd Ericksen from the University of Hawai'i School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology acted as mentors for the team.
Regional champions were invited to the national competition last weekend at Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center in Orlando, Fla., but Speed said the team did not have the money.
Donations helped make the California trip possible, including a $6,000 grant from NASA; $1,800 in plane tickets from Hawaiian Airlines; a $2,000 grant from the Campbell Estate; three plane tickets from the Hawaii Space Grant College; and building materials from City Mill Waipahu and Kilgo's, Speed said. Hilo Hattie donated 300 shell lei, and Del Monte Fresh Produce provided pineapples as gifts for the other team members.
The Legislature recognized the winning teams from Waipahu and Waialua high schools last week. The McKinley High School team, which also competed, earned the regional's Team Spirit Award.
