Lenape Tech Students Win ‘Land’ Challenge

 

by Jonathan Weaver

A Lenape Tech team of students tied for first place at the Sea, Air and Land Challenge April 26.

Held at Freeport Area High School, the 10th grade part-time students all study CADD/Pre-engineering and started building the robot in January.

Nic Hill served as team spokesman.

“We had to drive our robot through a 10-foot by 10-foot course with a few obstacles and we had to place blocks in the correct box,” Hill said. “But, we only via a camera. All we could see was what the camera saw.”

Students designed the robot without a kit and only had 15 minutes to complete their task.

“Some of the material we went online and bought and then some of it we just had sitting in the shop, that we repurposed,” Hill said. “The camera is from a drone.”

Students in the Precision Machining shop also helped repurpose the material.

According to Dylan Walker – who was the team’s first driver -, blocks weighed a half-pound each and were color-coded with numbers. The boxes blocks went into were at different heights and angles throughout the course.

When Hill drove the robot during the second race, the team – dubbed the ‘Lenape Tech Warriors’ - was able to place both blocks and a tennis ball for bonus points.

“I felt more comfortable with the robot because I was driving it around a lot in shop,” Hill said.

Students also replaced the robotic arm after the first run.

Students determined the drivers that drove the fastest during practice at the Manor Township school.

McCaffrey Musachia was in-charge of documentation and making sure the team did not spend more than the allotted $500. She said the team spent just over $450.

Teammate Julian Lentz credited Musachia with the team win because of her tie-breaking presentation.

Technical Instructor Eric Longwell said he was “impressed” with the 10th grade team

“We took 20 kids from all different configurations of our students from 10th-12th (grade) and this was the team that placed. And they actually beat the 11th grade team – so that’s cool,” Longwell said.

Walker said the 11th grade team was testing their robot “on the way out the door” to the competition, but had great mobility and was faster.

Lentz said both teams used the same motor for the challenge.

Principal Karen Brock also said she was proud of the winning team.

A Lenape Tech team from the Mechatronics shop also competed in the ‘Air’ challenge, while a group of seniors competed in the ‘Sea’ challenge.

The four students are from the Armstrong School District. Walker goes to Armstrong Junior/Senior High in Manor Township while the others attend West Shamokin Junior/Senior High in Rural Valley.

Another team member – Brenden Crusan- attends Apollo-Ridge School District.

There are only five 10th grade students in the shop.

The four students demonstrated the robot to school Joint Operating Committee members last week.

It was the third year Lenape Tech students competed in the Sea, Air and Land Challenge.

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