The Albany High School robotics team will be competing at the national level in Texas.
After weeks of fundraising, the Albany High School Falcons robotics team has met its goal. The team and their robot Rein are headed to Houston to compete in the FIRST robotics championship later this month. They gathered for a sendoff Thursday.
The Albany High School Falcons robotics team gathered inside a National Grid facility where they were presented with a $35,000 check from the utility.
Albany School District Superintendent Kaweeda Adams congratulated the team.
“This is the group that will be our engineers, our mathematicians, our doctors. All of these things that they are learning here in this STEM program is what will help us in the future as a community,” said Adams.
In a demonstration of its capabilities, Rein cruised around the cement floor of the warehouse.
The robot is designed to collect and shoot balls two-at-a-time at a target – in this case, a 55-gallon barrel.
Falcons team member Dorothy Sperry explained how it works.
“So, first off our intake raises and lowers with pneumatics,” explains Perry. “And we have the first row here. It will suck the ball in, which then holds it against the second row, which can bring it to the center. And then the third row actually brings into the robot. And from there, we have a conveyor system inside and then it goes up and shoots. We have a limelight on the front, which sensors the vertical distance…”
The robot can essentially “see” the goal, and adjust to successfully launch the balls at the target. Falcons teammate Pyae Sone designed the code for the limelight technology.
“I think the limelight is what made us to the competition. We’re able to score more goals than any other team on the field, which makes us the highest ranked team in the regionals and also going after the competition,” said Sone.
While he’s confident in what Rein can do now, Sone wants to take it further – have the robot shoot while cruising.
“That’s my goal from here now until we go to Houston, is making the robot move and shoot at the same time. Which means that we’re unstoppable, basically,” said Sone.
National Grid’s Jake Ennis is the Falcons’ engineering mentor.
“I’m incredibly proud of these kids, and just over the years – I’ve been with this for eight years – so to see this program where it started, when I got involved with it, and where it is now, they’re so far ahead than where they used to be, ya know? It’s really amazing,” said Ennis.
“I thought the robot was incredible…”
National Grid’s Brian Sano said he was impressed when the Falcons brought Rein to compete at the MVP Arena in Albany last month.
“National Grid’s commitment to the community is solid. We are always looking for opportunities to partner with different organizations, different groups. So being a part of the mission to get the Albany High School Falcons robotics team to Houston for this competition is a feel good moment for us,” said Sano.
The FIRST 2022 Championship is scheduled for April 20-22 in Houston, Texas. Event organizers expect more than 700 teams from around the world to participate.
