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Sharonites succeed at robotics tournament
Sharon Advocate - Friday, December 10, 2004
 After qualifying to represent the Sharon Youth Robotics Association (SYRA) in a
competition held at the Sharon Public Library, the Sharon Eagle Robotics
AngelBots and Unlimited teams had a great day at the FIRST LEGO League
tournament held at the Blackstone Valley High School in Upton on Saturday, Nov.
20th.
The morning competition for top score in the FIRST LEGO League 2004 No Limits
challenge included six rounds for each team to achieve their highest score, with
the Unlimited team qualified with 1st place at 377 (out of a possible 400), and
the AngelBots team qualified in 12th place.
The head-to-head single elimination rounds went well for both teams until, as
luck would have it, they faced each other in the seventh afternoon round. After
a fiercely contested match, pitting the young ladies of the AngelBots against
the young men of the Unlimited team, the Unlimited was fortunate to continue on
to face Northborough Team One in the final match.
Victory there left them in first place for the day.
The AngelBots team earned the Team Support Award for their impressive
performance. The Unlimited team earned an award for the Most Impressive Play of
the Day and the High Score Award, as well as a trophy for First Place in the
tournament. These two Sharon teams have a history of cooperation that couldn't
be marred by a play-off face-off. Most recently, they shared a place in the
FIRST LEGO League International competition held in Atlanta last April.
Mike Norton of Blackstone Valley Regional organized a great competition, which
he ran quickly and efficiently (and on time!) with twelve tables, cycling all 48
participating teams through a round every half hour. Of course, the Sharon Eagle
Robotics Unlimited team remember him and his FRC team with gratitude from the
BattleCry at WPI competition last June, where they hosted and demonstrated the
ropes of designing and competing for the high school level
FIRST Robotics Competition. Head referee Jack Gregory of the Sharon Youth
Robotics Association did his usual professional job training and supervising the
referee staff. The staff of volunteers were diligent and effective.
A fantastic time was had by all members of both teams, and by the looks of
things, by everyone else as well.
The FIRST LEGO League was created in partnership between FIRST and the LEGO
Company in 1998, the pilot season with 200 teams participating.
This fall, more than 4,000 FLL teams all over the world have accepted the "No
Limits" challenge (theme is to address the issues of disabilities), which will
engage them in robotics design, as well as research into technological topics.
Each team will build and program a LEGO Mindstorms robot to accomplish various
tasks set out as part of the challenge. The robots must autonomously (no remote
control) its missions with a 2.5 minute period for accumulating points. After
eight weeks, the season will culminate with high-energy, sports-like
tournaments. To honor the theme of this challenge, the seven Sharon Eagle
Robotics teams have adopted the motto - The Sky Is No Limit!
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