Hicksville High-Schoolers Win Robotics Competition

HICKSVILLE, NY — A team of brainy Hicksville high-schoolers recently took first place at a robotics competition after their machine was able to complete a series of tasks involving a rocket ship, hatches and cargo.

The Hicksville High School team, dubbed the J-Birds, won the Half Hollow Hills Invitational Robotics Competition in Dix Hills held Nov. 2.

The robot was driven by Kevin Diaz, Aditya Khatri controlled it during the matches and Sam Zhen provided the robot with game pieces during the match. Technician Sean Zhen and other team members pitched in with quick repairs between matches, while Jesse Kohli and his group of scouters helped feed the driver and operator with information about opposing teams, a key element of success.

Robots had to place game pieces onto a tall rocket on the side of the field or the cargo ship in the middle. Game pieces included two hatches, which were flat panels with fabric fastener borders, and cargo, which were large, inflatable, orange balls.

The team had to put the balls in the rocket or cargo ship bays, and block open holes with the hatches to prevent them from falling out.

The teams earned points for each action, as well as for lifting the robot to different platform levels at the end of the match.

Students built the robot using the same design as last year's version, with some improvements. In 2018, the team won the Long Island Regional Championship and qualified for the World Championship.