Raider Robotix remains a machine in competition

BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer

NORTH BRUNSWICK - The township high school Raider Robotix team went from metal to medal as they placed first in the New Jersey Regional robotics competition in Trenton from March 1 to 3.

Battling against 58 other teams from New Jersey, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Canada at the Sovereign Bank Arena, the 45 members of Team 25 also won the General Motors Industrial Design Award for the robot they constructed in January with the assistance of engineers from Bristol-Myers Squibb.

"Originally, coming into this season, we didn't think we were going to do well because we sort of have a curse. … We expected this year to be one of the down years, but we have such a strong team that I think we'll be pretty successful, I would say," senior member Neil Parikh said.

Last year, the team secured second place during the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) world championships held in April. They came into the competition with an undefeated record of 31-0 from regionals in Trenton and Las Vegas over the two previous months, during a basketball-style game where the robot had to shoot large foam balls into a hoop.

This year, the robot has to place colored inner tubes on spokes sticking out of a central jungle gym in a game similar to tic-tac-toe. Points are awarded by applying the number of secured rings as a function of the number 2. For example, eight rings would be 2 to the power of 8, or 256 points. There is also an autonomous round for 15 seconds where the robot can function continuously and an end-game during the last 15 seconds where a robot can use a ramp or another robot to lift itself at least one foot into the area, gaining another 30 points per each of the two regions on each side of the field.

Sophomore Kristian Calhoun, who was a programmer last year, said the experience of being on the drive team was especially exciting because usually it takes three years to build up decent drivers, which has already defied their curse this season.

"The entire team as a whole worked together really well this year. We worked really well last year too … but everybody just comes together to do a good job and we know what to do and how to do it," he said. "It's been more of a learning experience this year, and what we learned last year, we learned how to apply to this year."

The season holds tradition, since it is the first time in eight years the team has won back-to-back New Jersey regionals, despite seven senior members graduating last year. However, there is also a sense of loss because the team is dedicating their season to former member Mike Messeroll, who was attempting to walk across Route 130 on Christmas Eve morning and was struck and killed by a motor vehicle. Parikh said there have been a lot of matches where the team has "gotten lucky" and that "we've said there must be somebody looking out for us."

Calhoun added that Messeroll's parents, who were present during the competition, were really grateful that the team is wearing armbands in support of their son.

In addition, their other lucky charm was Rep. Rush Holt (D-12), who spent about two hours in Trenton watching the game and observing the technological perspective of the competition. The congressman and the team are looking to present a resolution before the Legislature to honor the FIRST program.

"It is amazing to work with a politician like that," Parikh said of Holt, who is a scientist himself. "He was so excited about it because it's the kind of stuff he likes to do."

The team will now participate in the UTC Hartford Regional this weekend against 50 teams. They have already qualified for the world championships in Atlanta in April.

"I just hope everything works out for the best. This is what we call a rebuilding year … because we had a lot of people who moved on to college … but we have a very strong robot, a very strong team … and I expect that we will do our best," Parikh said.

"This year we will strive to do as well as we did last year, and maybe do a little bit better. … Depending on how the competitions go, maybe we can take home the whole thing," Calhoun said.

For more information, visit www.usfirst.org.