No One Battles Robots Like Heights High Students

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — Sparks and flipped machines? It may be the sport of the future, but Heights High students are already really, really good at battling robots.

The Heights High Robotics team entered two squads in the regional Battle Bot competition at Lakeland Community College — and the teams took first and second place. Teams designed and built 15-pound, remote controlled robots. The machines are coated in a protective armor and sport a fast, spinning weapon.

The bots are placed in a plexiglass cage where they do battle with other schools' robot creations. Fights frequently involve shooting sparks and flipped robots.

The Black squad from Heights High took first place this year. The Gold team took second. Last year, Heights High only managed to finished third in this event.

“We learned from last years design issues and made specific improvements,” said Robotics club adviser, engineering teacher Greg Nachman. "It also helped to have such a supportive sponsors who were important teachers, providing technical expertise and material support.”

The growing important of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programming led to a surge of interest in the Robotics team. Nachman said the team nearly doubled in size, leading to the creation of a second team (Black and Gold) and the addition of another sponsor.

“I was especially proud of how the team worked together to design and build two really good bots," he said.

Having won the regional competition, the Heights High Robotics team punched its ticket to national competition. The squads will head to California University in Pennsylvania on May 18 and May 19 for the contest.

The Heights High Robotics team is sponsored by Nottingham Sprik, a Cleveland Heights-based company, which helped students with the designing, engineering and some manufacturing. Manufacturing companies Talan Products and Dunham Products also helped with design and manufacturing.

Photo from Cleveland Heights-University Heights Schools