2 minute read
County robotics students host regional competition
from January 2022
by Johnston Now
Submitted by SMITHFIELD-SELMA HIGH SCHOOL
SMITHFIELD — Team 6004 f(x) Robotics, based at Smithfield-Selma Senior High School, hosted an in-person competition for middle school “For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology” robotics teams recently.
A FIRST Robotics Competition team, f(x) Robotics includes students from Johnston County public, charter and home schools. The competition hosted at SSS was for 25 FIRST Lego League teams. The members of the f(x) Robotics team worked hard setting up, running and tearing down the 12-hour tournament.
Seven of the team members volunteered as referees at the tournament. FLL is a middle school robotics program that encourages creative thinking among students and helps them develop problem solving skills. It encourages students to respect each other and develop leadership, teamwork, and cooperation skills. FLL teaches aspects of programming, design and public speaking.
Craig Danby of Discovery Channel's Battlebots stands in the background as his robot, Slammo, lifts FIRST Robotics Team 6004's robot, ISBF, into the air. Danby was a featured guest at the recent middle school robotics tournament hosted at Smithfield-Selma Senior High School.
A number of the f(x) team members are past FLL members, which encouraged them to join FRC. FRC is a more advanced robotics program that has students build and program a 120-pound robot from scratch and drive it to complete challenges during district, state, national and international competitions. FLL has students build robots from Lego Education kits and program them using a software made for the robots.
The f(x) Robotics team is split into five sections: programming, mechanical, marketing, electrical and digital. During the November tournament, they had the opportunity to show off the team robot to about 500 people present throughout the day. Due to the pandemic, in-person competitions stopped in March 2020, but hybrid competitions are resuming this year with all safety precautions in place.
SSS and f(x) Robotics were honored to be able to host this tournament and see everyone in-person again and look forward to hosting this amazing event in Johnston County next year.
