Kennett Robotics team places 17th in Championship

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High School team improves greatly from last season 

robotics

The 2012-13 Blue Demons Robotics Team at the Championship Competition.

Kennett High School Demon Robotics followed its rookie season last year by advancing to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship at Lehigh University in April and finished 17th out of 49 teams.

With their robot, Demonator II, the team participated in regional competitions at Hatboro-Horsham and Chestnut Hill before advancing to the quarterfinals.

This year’s competition Ultimate Ascent featured a disk shooting game. Robots were designed to fire disks into slots located at various heights in order to score one, two, or three points. After time expired team members worked to suspend their robot on a metal-beamed tower in order to score bonus points.

Team president Steven Lawton praised the team for their performance in the competition.

“Once we worked out a few glitches with the robot, we really played well,” Lawton said. “I’m very proud of the team’s performance, and it was a big improvement over last year.”

Robotics team members Chris DelTosto and Kyler Rush work on the Blue Demons’ 2013 robot.

Robotics team members Chris DelTosto and Kyler Rush work on the Blue Demons’ 2013 robot.

“The Varsity Sport for the Mind,” the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition combines the competitiveness of sport with science and technology.

Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of are challenged to raise funds, design a team ‘brand,’ hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors.

The team is also guided by volunteer mentors. The Blue Demons Robotics Team was assisted by adult mentors Bob Lawton, Dom Perna, John Rush, Jeff Feit, Brian Lucas, Steve Chapman, and Scott Hammel.

Funding was provided by many supporters including the Kennett Education Foundation, JC Penney, DuPont, Walmart, Phillips Mushroom Farms, and Sinton Air Heating & Air Conditioning.

Anyone interested in volunteering time, talent, or funding for the 2013-14 competition season can contact club adviser Dan Folmar at Kennett High School.

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