Timber Ridge Takes First at Robotics Challenge

Submitted by Plainfield School District 202

Photo: Members of the Timber Ridge Middle School Robotics Club watch their robot run through an obstacle course at the University of Illinois Extension’s annual 4-H Robotics Showcase Challenge, held April 16. Four District 202 middle school including Aux Sable, John F. Kennedy and Ira Jones participated in the challenge. Teams spent months designing, building and programming their robots.

PLAINFIELD, IL — Timber Ridge Middle School won first place for programming at the University of Illinois Extension’s annual 4-H Robotics Showcase Challenge held April 16.

More than 50 teams competed in the event, including Aux Sable, Ira Jones, John F. Kennedy and Timber Ridge middle schools.

John F. Kennedy Middle School also won an award for teamwork and Ira Jones won trophies for the best engineered robot and best performance by a single robot.

Teams have been working since January to build and program robots to navigate obstacles based on dog agility courses.

The student teams were judged on robot design and programming, teamwork, and how well the robots ran through the obstacles.

Aux Sable Middle School brought two teams to the competition for the first time, said Kelly Wulf, a sixth grade science teacher and sponsor of the school’s Robotics Club.

“Our students definitely learned a lot about problem solving, designing and teamwork through this experience,” she said.

John F. Kennedy and Timber Ridge middle schools also made their challenge debut this year.

Students learned about teamwork, commitment, dedication and computer programming, said Laura Egly, the Timber Ridge Robotics Club sponsor and sixth through eighth grade computer and STEM teacher.

“We realized that our competitors had some of the same programming issues as us, but that we all were willing to help each other out to make it a successful experience,” said Elizabeth Raak, a seventh grade science teacher who managed the John F. Kennedy’s teams.