Iowa is about to get an influx of Baltimore spirit thanks to the Loyola Blakefield Robotics team.
The Loyola Blakefield 7135D robotics team is looking to take a byte out of the competition at the Worldwide Robotics Competition in Iowa this week. The 2024 CREATE U.S. Open Robotics Championship is the prestigious worldwide VEX Robotics competition that will see hundreds of high school teams from around the world compete from March 14 – 16.
It’s hosted by the CREATE Foundation (Competitive Robotics Enhancing and Advancing Technology Education), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, whose mission is to nurture STEM education among youth and revolutionize technology education.
These competitions involve two teams collaborating to form an alliance to complete robotic agility tasks to collect points. They’re similar to athletic events, but rather than stretching muscles of the body, they stretch the mind. Students must demonstrate knowledge of technology and computer programming, teamwork, communication, and leadership skills.
“The CREATE Foundation is committed to empowering educational organizations, students, teachers, and mentors, believing that fostering a passion for technology is paramount for our future,” reads the press release. “By providing captivating robotics competitions, the Foundation offers a dynamic platform for students to hone their skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).”
The 7135D team emerged as 1st Place Champions with their alliance with South Hagerstown during the VEX Robotics South Hagerstown Rebel Rumble in December. That competition was hosted by South Hagerstown High School and launched the team on its road to Iowa.
Members of the 7135D team include Co-Presidents of the Loyola Blakefield Robotics Club Lucas Richardson and John Flukinger as well as teammates Eli Eib, Cole Rhorbach and Nico Solano.
“I’d love to see a day where school Robotics programs one day flourish, receiving the same massive support and resources as sports like football and baseball,” Richardson said in a statement. “Our world needs far more engineers and scientists. Robotics competitions, epitomized by events like VEX, not only teach leadership and teamwork skills but also foster critical-thinking and complex analytical abilities essential for solving some of the world’s most challenging issues.”
The VEX Robotics Competition Over Under is played on a 12’ x 12’ square field. Two alliances — one “red,” one “blue,” comprising two teams each — compete in matches consisting of a 15-second Autonomous Period, followed by a one minute and 45 second Driver Controlled Period. The robots are all designed and built from the ground up. Programming is done by the team for their specific robot.
The alliance that gets the most points by scoring triballs in goals moves on to the next match.
