Yorkville High School Students to Participate in Robotics Competition

Eighteen students, with help from six adult mentors, are designing and building a robot to be entered in The FIRST Robotics Competition.

The FIRST Robotics Competition is a national non-for-profit organization that was founded by Dean Kaman, the inventor of the Segway, in 1989.  Dubbed the “varsity sport for the mind,” FRC’s strives to provide real-world engineering challenges for students who like science or technology, accord to its website.

Yorkville students will compete at the University of Illinois - Chicago Pavilion from March 24-26.

“I first heard about the competition after I received a flier from a neighboring school, and I thought it would be really cool for our kids to do,” Tracey Hosey, Director of Special Education for the Yorkville School District, and lead mentor for the Robotics Club said.

 The planning process for the Yorkville's students to enter the competition began about a year ago, when Hosey first received that flier. Hosey invited Dan Greene, the Illinois director of FRC, to speak with the Gifted Advisory Committee, and then principal Tim Shimp, who is now Yorkville’s associate superintendent, about the logistics of the competition.

 “Ever since then, I knew that this was something we had to do, so [Shimp] and I worked over the past year to turn this idea into a reality,” Hosey said. “We now have a group of incredible students that are participating, five other knowledgeable adult mentors, and have received enough funds from the community to make this all happen.”

 Yorkville High School received a grant from JC Penney in nearby Montgomery for $6,500 to commence the project. Their contribution covered the cost for registration, as well as the necessary hardware and software that was provided by US First.

 Fox Foot and Ankle, a Yorkville business, donated $2,000, and they have also received contributions from numerous families.

 At the competition kick-off on Jan. 8, the students were given two boxes of parts, as well as competition rules to participate in the new LOGO MOTION challenge.  

Each robot must be remote-controlled, and is placed in an arena to perform various tasks, such as placing plastic inflatable shapes on pegs, and competing against other defensive robots in a specified time limit. 

"Our robot will be judged by the overall design, how the robot functions, how the team works together as a whole, and by overall safety,” said Jordan Gingrich, a junior at Yorkville High School who is in charge of the electrical upkeep of the robot.

 The 55 teams from across the state also be judged on their "Gracious Professionalism" while competing.

 “Since we are so new, it will be nice to have all the other schools help us out at the competition if something goes wrong,” Gingrich said. “That is the whole basis of Gracious Professionalism.”

 The robot, which they have officially dubbed “Foximus Prime,” was fully assembled on Feb. 10.  They are planning to have a scrimmage to work out the kinks in the design and function before they have to box and ship Foximus Prime to the competition by Feb. 22. 

“We are all really excited for the competition,” Hosey said. “It’s going to be as rowdy as a Bulls game, and as exciting as the Olympics.”

According to Hosey, there are over $14 million worth of scholarships to be given away, and 1 out of every 3 students who place in first will receive a part of that scholarship money.

If all goes well for the students of Yorkville High School, and if the judges choose them, they will have the opportunity to travel to St. Louis to compete in the FRC International competition in mid-April.