Robotics Club Headed to World Championships

A local robotics club featuring members from Oak Creek High School heads to St. Louis Wednesday to compete in the FIRST International Robotics Competition.

The Thomas More Community Robotics Club consists of 26 student members from nine different high schools and has been on fire lately, taking home awards in two separate competitions last month. 

At Milwaukee's , the team earned the Excellence in Design Award and later won the prestigious Chairman's Award - the highest honor awarded at a regional competition. The latter award qualified the team for the world competition.

Not content to rest on their laurels, the club went on to compete in the 10,000 Lakes Regional at the Williams Arena and Sports Pavilion in Minneapolis. There, they competed against more than 60 teams and earned the Entrepreneurship Award.

Riding high on their recent accomplishments, the team is excited to attend the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Championship, said team mentor Jill Schlidt, who will attend the competition for the first time herself.

The club, which is coached by volunteers and expert mentors, starts competing in timed competitions Thursday against teams from around the world.

The trials are two-fold. First, their robot will be required to pick up and arrange various inflatable shapes in particular order. A separate mini-bot will then have to display its climbing ability.

While only one match at a time is typically held at regional events, Schlidt expects as many as four matches to be taking place concurrently at the Edward Jones Dome this weekend.

FIRST is a national event founded in 1989 by Segway inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people in the field of engineering and to provide valuable real-life experience.