BFHS FIRST Robotics Team 2130 Alpha+ hosts summer camp

At the end of July, 24 students in grades four through six, participated in a four-day Summer Robotics Camp, hosted by BFHS FIRST Robotics Team 2130 Alpha+.

The camp was organized and run solely by the high school team members, whose goal was to introduce younger students to the joys of computer programming and robotics. This year’s game, Ring Fling, challenged the students to pick up and place different sized rings on posts throughout a four by four foot board, while avoiding penalty points by not knocking over the posts. They overcame these challenges using only Legos, a miniature computer known as an NXT, and their imaginations.

The students were divided into five teams, each accompanied by a high school mentor and a junior mentor from middle school FIRST Lego League Robotics Team Omega. The summer camp participants were guided through the building process of brainstorming, designing, prototyping, and final construction. When each of the five teams completed their unique robots, they were tasked with programming their robots to complete specific actions, with the help of attachments and various sensors.

Teams also practiced valuable concepts such as “Gracious Professionalism”- the idea that despite ongoing competition, teams should be helpful and civil to one another.

At the end of the four days, each of the teams participated in a final ranked competition, enthusiastically showing other teams and their families what they had learned. Each team found their own ways to use unique attachments to grab the rings and deliver them to posts.

In addition to robotics, camp participants enjoyed science activities, arts and crafts projects, group games, and a special presentation from four engineers from Unicep Packaging in Sandpoint. Each camp participant also received a t-shirt.

As a result of participating in the camp, Alpha+ members hope that upon reaching middle school, students will join FIRST Lego League Robotics Team Omega. For more information, please contact Jacob Garrison at jacob.garrison@mail.bcsd101.com.

This camp would not have been possible without the appreciated help of our team mentors, BCMS FIRST Lego League Robotics Team Omega, families, and community members who were involved. Alpha+ is looking forward to hosting its Summer Robotics Camp again next year!