In robot wars, only cash limits Waialua

By Will Hoover
Advertiser North Shore Writer

For two years running, Waialua High has been the little school that could when it comes to winning gold medals at a regional Mainland robotics competition and, along with those medals, an invitation to the nationals.

Lyle Lopez, 17, front, and Joseph Gudoy, 14, stand next to a practice robot prototype. They are part of Waialua's regional robotics team champions. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

"It's not for a lack of trying," said school principal Aloha Coleman. "This is actually the third year we've entered this (regional) contest. The first year we came in second. Last year and this year we came in first."

But because Waialua High is a small, rural school in remote O'ahu, it has its hands full just collecting enough money to get to the closest regional competition in San Jose, Calif., Coleman said.

The school gets some support from foundations and businesses toward the $45,000 it needs for the regional competition, which goes for entrance fees, the cost of a $7,000 robot kit and travel expenses for the 14-member robotics team and adult advisers. But much of that total comes from selling cookies, washing cars and gathering $5 and $10 donations from area residents.

"To get us to nationals would cost us an extra $30,000," she said. "That has always been the stumbling block."

Meanwhile, other regional winners — many of which have major corporate sponsorship — have no trouble reaching the nationals, which this year will be at Walt Disney World's Epcot Center April 25-27.

"Every year we've made our pitch to the big corporations here in Hawai'i, including all the engineering firms — we've written requests for donations, asked for time to meet with their boards to do presentations — and we have been turned down time and time again," Coleman said. "So, we amass our $5 and $10 and 25-cent donations here and there, we go out and make this wonderful showing for all the state of Hawai'i."

The FIRST Robotics Competition began a decade ago with a handful of robot teams at a New Hampshire high school gym, and has since grown to more than 600 teams participating in 17 regional events around the nation.

The mission of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is to motivate "young people to pursue opportunities in science ..."

"The competition changes from year to year, so we couldn't use the same robot again," said team member Lyle Lopez, 17, who has been involved in all three regional competitions for Waialua. "So, we have to build the robot from scratch. But you use the same principles to build it."

Lopez said the idea this year was to design a robot that captures soccer balls and stuffs them into a moveable goal.

Last Saturday the Waialua team, along with its two alliance partners — Kingman High from Arizona and Bellarmine College Preparatory from San Jose — edged out another three-team alliance to win the regional championship. Some 50 teams had competed in the two-day event.

But while Waialua will be staying home, Kingman and Bellarmine are headed for Orlando, Fla.

Coleman said Waialua couldn't get to Florida now even if an 11th-hour corporate sponsor magically appeared to offer the extra money

"It's too late," she said. "We needed to give them a commitment the day we won, which was last Saturday."

Still, Coleman said the robotics projects have been a great educational and growth experience for the 14 team members and adult advisers.

"It's one thing to learn about building a robotics project. But the other part of it is the teamwork and social skills that go into the process."

Coleman, who says the school will continue to go to the robotic regionals, cites Lopez as one example.

"He's a very articulate young man," she said. "But three years ago he was quiet, shy, introverted and never said a word.

"It has been through his involvement in robotics that he has just blossomed."

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8038.