Kealakehe High School Robotics Team’s journey to an upcoming international competition was laden with obstacles.
Parts arrived late forcing the team, also known as the Tiki Techs, to have a mere two weeks — instead of six — to design and build a robot able to perform prescribed tasks at the regional competition organized by For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, or FIRST. This year’s basketball-like game was Aerial Assist. It involved two alliances of three robots facing off to move as many balls into zones and scoring points by throwing balls over trusses or goals, said 15-year-old freshman Courtney Nelson.
During the wait, the team kept busy by simulating different matches and playing a full-scale game with human “robots.” This revealed the importance of having “a highly effective middle zone robot that could receive passes and quickly advance the ball over the truss,” Nelson said. Coordinating defensive attacks was key, too, she added.
The team also used the time build a practice robot to test ideas, including ways to make their creation stand out. A unique feature of their competition robot were LED lights, which flashed different colors as it went through various functions. Besides being aesthetically pleasing and fun to watch, this helped connect and inform the audience with what was happening, Nelson said.
During the Hawaii FIRST Robotics Competition in March, the Tiki Techs faced another hurdle when their robot stopped working. The team’s control systems members frantically tried to fix the code that commanded the robot. For four matches, each 2 minutes and 30 seconds, the robot sat. Seventeen-year-old senior Daniel Andrade worked four hours that night to streamline the programming.
In the end, the team’s dedication, determination and ingenuity paid off. The robot advanced to the finals and qualified for the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship, happening April 23 through 26 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Mo. Tiki Techs is one of 400 teams competing at this “Super Bowl of Smarts.”
This is Kealakehe’s fourth consecutive trip to this international competition — something accomplished by less than 1 percent of participating teams and “quite rewarding,” especially considering this robotics program is only in its fourth year, said Justin Brown, the school’s Career and Technical Education coordinator and the team’s head coach.
Tiki Techs also received NASA’s Engineering Inspiration Award, which “celebrates outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within the team’s school and community.”
“Outside of Kealakehe, no team in Hawaii has ever earned multiple Engineering Inspiration Awards. If you combine all the Hawaii schools together, there have been six of these awards given. Kealakehe has earned three of them,” Brown said.
Judges were impressed by the team’s outreach efforts, which include hosting and participating in more than 40 events annually. In 2013, for example, the team held a camp filled with experiments, computer programming and engineering challenges, for more than 100 third- through eighth-grade students. Because of that success, the team decided this year to hold two camps, Nelson said.
These events are opportunities for Tiki Techs to share their passion for science, technology, engineering and math with the community. By doing so, Tiki Techs are helping transform West Hawaii into “an informed community of innovative thinkers” and “creating brighter future for youth,” Nelson said. “It’s also way pay forward the opportunities and knowledge we’ve received,” she added.
At the regional competition, 16-year-old junior Amy Lowe became the team’s first Dean’s List finalist and the second neighbor island student to receive this honor. As the team’s lead graphic designer, she combines art and technology to communicate ideas that inspire, inform and captivate.
Lowe was chosen for the honor because of her leadership and dedication. Only two students are selected at each regional competition. Lowe will represent Hawaii while competing for one of 10 Dean’s List worldwide winners, Brown said.
While thrilled about its latest accomplishments, the team isn’t resting on its laurels. Another challenge exists: Raising more than $50,000 — the amount needed to send 18 students and five chaperones to the competition. To date, the team has $10,000 from sponsors and partners. Kona residents Mark and Carol Solien have also committed to match dollar for dollar all new donations up to $5,000 — something that must be done by today, Brown said.
Nelson said competitions are important because they offer chances to meet others excited about STEM, network and share ideas. They also allow for more process reflection, inspiration and “perseverance to push ourselves to new heights.”
Though considered a powerhouse in the high school robotics world, the team has a limited budget and not as many resources as its counterparts. Its members are under no delusions about what it takes to be successful. It’s not unusual for the students, as well as their dedicated mentors, to spend at least 5,000 hours during a build for a competition, which they do more than 20 in a year. For many, this team is more than an after-school club and Room M-103 is a home away from home, Brown said.
“From welding to graphic design, students are encouraged to do what they love with a motto: ‘Be excellent and bring out that which is excellent in others,’ ” Nelson said. “The program gives students a feeling of purpose because they are able to make a difference in their personal life, for the robotics teams and for the community. The students in this program develop a drive and the ability to work hard and produce high quality work.”
Kealakehe’s athletics department has loaned the team money, which allowed purchasing of airline tickets this week and is helping make this trip possible. Tiki Techs must pay those funds back and community support is needed, Brown said. Donations are sought and those interested in contributing can call 854-4066 or email KealakeheRobotics@gmail.com.
In the coming months, the team will hold fundraisers, such as its regular steak frys. On May 21, there will also be a hoike, an end-of-the year showcase complete with robotics demonstrations, luau and silent auction, which items are needed. The $200 to $300 tuition collected from the next STEM camp, happening in June, also helps the program, Brown said.
For more information, visit kealakeherobotics.org.
