December 15, 2006

K.R. Smith Robotics teams compete at Annual Regional Robotics Qualifier Tournament

Katherine R. Smith Elementary School fielded two teams at this year’s San Jose Unified School District’s Annual Regional Robotics Qualifier Tournament for the First Lego League on Saturday, Dec. 9 at Gunderson High School.

Robomaniacs (l to r) Inderpreet Chakal, Malcom Morales, Adam Romayor, Gilbert Contreras, and Allan Garcia practice before the competition.

The theme of this year’s challenge was “Nano Quest.” All teams were required to present a project with research focusing on a design solution that could be used to improve the human condition with nanotechnology.

There are four main facets to the competition: students are interviewed by a panel of judges probing them for their teamwork; the students must demonstrate that the robot that they built is designed appropriately for the task given; the students must do an independent project that relates to the topic and give a short presentation to a panel of judges on the investigative problem solving they completed. Finally, the students must use the robots they designed to complete a set of tasks on a playing field within a two-and-a-half minute performance window.

Smith’s Bumblebots used a mock Magic School Bus (which they fabricated from cardboard, yellow paint, and electrical tape) to arrive at the competition table and for their project presentation. They maintained that just as a leaf uses photosynthesis to give the plant energy, cars would one day be using paint with nano solar cells embedded in it to power their engines.

The Robomaniacs took a shot at curing the common cold with nanotechnology: hypothesizing that a pill with nano elements would be developed to envelop the cold virus and smother it to death.

Both teams did a great job and were cheered on by K.R. Smith’s new principal, Nick Radley. Members of the Bumblebots included: Celeste Contreras, Maria Dalisay, Jessica Huynh, Jessica Khauv, and Jennifer Ly. Robomaniac members were: Gilbert Contreras, Inderpreet Chakal, Allan Garcia, Malcom Morales, and Adam Romayor.

The team is mentored by David Porter, Lockheed Martin, Matthew Wong, Bellarmine Preparatory, and Ann Fleischer, a fourth grade teacher at K.R. Smith. It is funded by the G.E. Volunteers and Lockheed Martin grants.