UCFSD's FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics Team, Flaming Phoenix, made it to the finals in it's December competition and brought home numerous awards. The team is comprised of five students from Unionville High School (Christy Ammon, Kaelyn Gaza, Austin Hwa, CJ McClure, and KC Simmons) and two students from Patton Middle School (Thomas McClure and Justin Warner).
FTC competitions differ from other robotics competitions because you are teamed up with other schools to compete as an alliance. UCFSD's alliance, with schools from Philadelphia and Fort Washington, finished second overall and took home the Finalist Alliance Trophy. The teams are also judged individually in competing for awards in engineering, design, programming and community outreach. UCFSD's Flaming Phoenix team was the first place winner for the PTC Design Award. The intent of this award is to expand the competition challenge, inspiring teams to incorporate industrial design into their robots. These elements can be shown in the simplicity of the design as it applies to the tasks, the look and feel of the robot, and how the design allows us to think of robots in new ways. The Design aspects must serve a function - but they should also differentiate the robot in a unique fashion - not an easy task with a limited set of parts and game challenge. Here is what the judges had to say: "This team designed a robot that functions well on the field and looks good in the pit. While some teams use their 3D printer to make decorative parts, these engineers have taken it to another level. The perfection of their design has risen from the ashes of their previous attempts." The team worked very hard on their design and programming, meeting multiple times per week and even on weekends and holiday breaks. They have two more competitions this month and hope to make a second trip in a row to the State Championship in February.
UCFSD's team also took third place in the Motivate Award, which recognizes outstanding team spirit and community outreach that raises awareness about robotics and STEM programs. Team Flaming Phoenix invites you to learn more about the FIRST robotics competitions by stopping by the FIRST LEGO League Competition at Patton Middle School this Saturday, January 10th anytime between 11am and 3:30pm. You can watch robotics competitions for kids in grades 4 to 8 and also stop by the demo area to drive the larger robots and learn about FTC for kids in grades 7 through 12. If your child is interested in being on a robotics team in the fall, this is an event you won't want to miss!
