Student Participates In Robotics Competition

Mark Graham and Mac Garvey with their winning robot "Big Kahuna."

On Tuesday May 15th six second-year (Fourth Form) students competed in South Kent School's second Annual

Robotics Competition.

This year's competition featured two tasks using the student-built robots. "Prison Break" involved navigating robots through a large maze, turning off light switches, opening gates and collecting a small key. Each robot then progressed through the maze and over an obstacle while avoiding a swinging bowling ball. The team whose robot delivered a key to its handcuffed partner first was the winner.

"Sumo-bot," the second contest, pitted pairs of robots against each other as they attempted to muscle each other outside of a laser-defined eight-foot perimeter.

The team of Mac Garvey and Mark Graham won the overall competition. Their robot, "Big Kahuna," displayed superior handling ability and precision, besting both "Ganji" and "The Destroyer" which suffered a serious setback after an unpleasant encounter with the swinging bowling ball.

According to Mark Berghold, the SKS faculty member who coordinated the event, the competition provided the boys with a wonderful opportunity to both learn some basic engineering principles and to revise and adapt. "It was great to see the boys develop wonderfully innovative solutions to some of the obstacles which they faced during the 48-hour 'build phase' and during the competition."

"This is the second year South Kent has held this competition and - although participation is voluntary - we are getting great response from our students. I've already been approached by younger students looking forward to their opportunity next year." Mr. Berghold said.

The six students participating this year were:

Dong-Kyu Bea (Seoul, South Korea), Mac Garvey (Bronxville, NY), Mark Graham (Dover Plains, NY), Adam Heintz (Covington, GA), Hyun Ug Kim (Seoul, South Korea), and Merrick McQuilling (Garden City, NY).

All the students took part in the torch-lit competition which was held before an enthusiastic audience at the school.

Faculty member, Gonzalo Garcia-Pedroso MC'ed the event.