OOMPA LOOMPA 2 SHOWS ITS METAL AT NATIONAL CONTEST.Byline: Marci Wormser Staff Writer LANCASTER - Lancaster High School's robotics team placed 12th out of 73 teams in its division Sunday at a national robot competition A robotic competition is an event where robots have to accomplish a given task. Usually they have to beat other robots in order to become the best one. Most competitions are for schools but as time goes by, several professional competitions are arising. in Houston. The finish was the team's best in four years of building remote-controlled robots to compete against other schools' creations, said Kevin Spoelstra, an industrial technology teacher and robotics team supervisor. ``This was the best robot so far,'' he said. ``We're happy with (the score).'' The competition, called For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, drew 290 teams from the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , Canada, Brazil and the United Kingdom. The schools were divided into four groups for competition. The robots competed by collecting and stacking plastic storage containers, while trying to keep opposing teams' robots from doing so. Lancaster High's robot, Oompa Loompa 2, is a 230-pound aluminum box on wheels with an arm and a flashing red light on top. It was created in six weeks by the local teens with the help of engineers from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), civilian agency of the U.S. federal government with the mission of conducting research and developing operational programs in the areas of space exploration, artificial satellites (see satellite, artificial), , Lockheed Martin For the former company, see . Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a leading multinational aerospace manufacturer and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. and Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is an aerospace and defense conglomerate that is the result of the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company is the third largest defense contractor for the U.S. . ``It's unlike any sporting event,'' Spoelstra said. ``The robots essentially become the athletes.'' Last year, the team placed 24th overall in the nationals. This year Lancaster High had a better-designed robot, more experienced students and teamwork, Spoelstra said. The school qualified for the national competition by placing seventh out of 60 teams in a Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, regional competition April 3-5 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. The top eight teams were invited to compete in the nationals, Spoelstra said. Highland High School's robotics team, which built a robotic creation with the help of Lancaster High students, competed in the regional event for the first time this year but did not qualify for the nationals. FIRST, a nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. , was created by Dean Kamen, the inventor of the Segway human transporter Noun 1. Segway Human Transporter - (trademark) a self-balancing personal transportation device with two wheels; can operate in any level pedestrian environment Segway, Segway HT electrical device - a device that produces or is powered by electricity scooter. This was the 11th annual national competition. The intent is to encourage students to become involved in math, science and technology by letting them work with professionals on hands-on projects. ``It's a great exposure to potential career-type work,'' Spoelstra said. ``(Students) get exposure to mentors and advisers to the club. It's important for future career considerations.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Lancaster High students examine their remote-controlled Oompa Loompa 2 robot in February. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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