on 02-12-2007 21:32

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Team members from Ocean County Vocational-Technical School in Toms River (from left) Andrew Van Arsdale, Jonathan Gery and Anthony Accetturo put their team's robot through its paces at the Ocean County College Robotics Race. (STAFF PHOTO: TIM McCARTHY)

As the robots raced around different tracks Friday to compete for the fastest time at the Robotics Race at Ocean County College, the teams of middle and high school students cheered and groaned as their robots either completed the mission or failed.

Jonathan Gery, 19, of Brick and Anthony Accetturo, 17, of Toms River, members of Ocean County Vocational-Technical School-Toms River Team 27, were talking with Timothy Hochstrasser, 18, of Toms River Team 3, which won the Design Challenge Competition.

"It was a lot more exciting (than previous years) and there were more things to do," said Gery, competing for his second year. "(Events like this) help us gain skills for more competitive jobs."

Hochstrasser of Waretown said it was helpful for programmers and builders to learn how to work together.

The race, in its sixth year, was started by Neil Schiller, professor of engineering at the college, and is organized by Nancy Gerry, director of school relations.

There were three divisions: Pre-Built Limited, in which students used materials from a kit to build a robot; Pre-Built Unlimited, where they can use parts from more than one kit; and Design Challenge, in which a robot is designed and programmed to complete a specific task, which was kept secret until right before the contest started.

Twenty-two teams competed in the Limited Division, 10 in Unlimited, and 22 in Design Challenge. Teams could compete in one or all of the divisions.

Schiller explained that all the robots were autonomous, meaning they had computer programs downloaded into them and the students did not physically control them.

"The Robotics Race gives the students the opportunity to get into a competitive experience working with other people as a team," said Schiller. "They get a lot of fun out of it. Because it's a competition, it's not work, and it gives the teachers the role of being a coach. It builds teamwork within the schools."

He said jobs that these students typically pursue are in the fields of engineering, manufacturing and computer science.

"Anytime you get an opportunity to have students work as a team, it's a wonderful opportunity," Schiller said. "The same principles can be used in factories. There's lots of skills here they can use."

Team 39 from Veterans Memorial Middle School in Brick, made up of Thomas Alexander, 13, Justin Schwartzseid, 14, Michael Selsky, 13, and Tyler Viducic, 13, said their robot completed the design challenge as a result of good luck.

"It's hard to figure out," said Viducic. "We set up something and out of sheer luck it worked."

Selsky said the challenge was very difficult because of the limited time period of 90 minutes that they had to build and program their robots.

Gerry said the college will also host Junkyard Wars April 4, and the Cardboard Canoe Races May 16.

Winners in the competition and their times in seconds are:

Limited Division — First place, Team 65 (vocational-technical school-Brick), 11.44; second place, Team 37 (Lake Riviera Middle School, Brick), 13.3; third place, Team 24 (Lake Riveria Middle School), 15.43; fourth place, Team 27 (vocational-technical school-Toms River), 17.0.

Unlimited Division — First place, Team 65, 10.62; second place, Team 27, 18.25; third place, Team 43 (Central Regional Middle School, Berkeley), 19.13; fourth place, Team 34 (Toms River High School North), 53.63.

Design Challenge: First place, Team 3 (Ocean County Vocational-Technical School-Toms River), 16.04; second place, Team 19 (vocational school-Toms River), 17.77; fourth place, Team 39 (Veterans Memorial Middle School, Brick), 1 minute, 31.79 seconds.

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Last update: 02-12-2007 21:41

Published in : Bot News, Competitions

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