RAPID RIVER, Mich. (WZMQ) – Fourth and fifth grade students on the Rapid River Robotics team are raising funds for a major competition in Massachusetts.
Rapid River’s FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Robotics students have been working on their robot since the beginning of the school year.
“They fill out an entire application about how responsible they are and how well they work with other people in small groups, and they have to write an essay about why they want to join robotics,” said robotics coach Carla Meyer.
The first stage was the team’s innovation project.
“We looked at hand dexterity LEGOs,” said fourth grader Colin Denkins. “We have a student in first grade that can’t play with LEGOs the same way we do, so we tried making a glove that she could wear.”
The glove utilizes magnets on different parts of the hand to pick up LEGO bricks.
“Sometimes it could just be a flat hand to pick up and build them,” fourth grader Tristen Leadman.
For their robot, the team designed it to perform certain tasks.
“We decide on the frame to build off from and if we’re going to make the robot more for lifting or pushing or pulling stuff,” explained fifth grader Dom Nuernberg.
They used their coding skills to tell it where to go and how to move.
“A bunch of numbers and sizes,” fifth grader Adria Douville said of the coding process. “Like if you want the robot to go fast, you have to speed to 20% or something.”
The robot has touch sensors and other features that put it into action.
“We also have a gyro sensor that’s inside of the brain,” said Denkins. “It makes it go straight, turn over, or turn.”
“The hardest part of programming a robot is to get the robot to do the mission successfully without making any mistakes so you can get the correct time,” fifth grade student Olivia Leadman said.
After placing in regional and state competitions, the team qualified to compete against robotics teams from around the world in Massachusetts at the Worcester Polytechnics Institute Invitational in June.
“Our kids absolutetly deserve to go,” Meyer said. “In recent history, no other team has advanced out of state from the U.P., and they’re one of two teams from Michigan going to this competition. They’re representing the U.P., and they’re immensely proud.”
The total cost of the trip is about $25,000. Meyer says the community has been eager to help them reach that goal.
“So many area businesses have just stepped up to help and said, ‘Yeah, we absolutely want these kids to have this opportunity,'” she said. “Checker Transportation is going to get us out there safely and get us back. Bobbi [Ryan] at Jack’s Restaurant let my kids take over the restaurant over St. Patty’s Day weekend. Billy Electric is a huge sponsor, along with Harris Heating and Cooling.”
On Friday, April 13, the team is hosting a Taco Night Fundraiser at the Rapid River Lions Club, located at 10465 South Main Street, from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The cost to attend is $10 for adults and $5 for children above the age of 3. In addition to dinner, the event will have 50/50 and bucket raffles.
The students invite the community to come out to support them on this part of their robotics journey.
“I’ve learned that we can all work together,” said fifth grader Terrell Harris.
“You get to learn some pretty cool life skills,” Nuernberg added. “The teamwork is also really fun.”
The team is also accepting donations to the Rapid River Robotics account at Baybank. Checks can also be sent to the school. Bottle and can donations can also be made at the Rapid River Robotics trailer, located along the highway across from Jack’s.
Follow the team’s progress on Facebook by clicking here.
