Following months of hard work, the high school robotics team, #6174 Kaprekar’s Constants, will put their robot to the test.
The team will compete at the Sacramento Regional for the international FIRST robotics competition, to be held on Friday, March 23, and Saturday, March 24, at the UC Davis Arc Pavilion on the corner of Orchard Road and La Rue Road in Davis.
#6174 Kaprekar’s Constants will go up against local teams including those from Sacramento, Woodland and Fairfield, as well as 6178 Citrus Circuits from Davis High School.
The competition is free and open to the public.
Matches will go from 9 a.m. to noon and 1-5:45 p.m. on Friday, and 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Saturday. Playoff matches will be held from 1:30-4:30 p.m.
According to the team faculty advisor, high school math teacher Mike Challender, a few students from Kaprekar’s Constants will dedicate their day at the competition to offering attendees a tour of the pit and a close-up look at this year’s robot.
The 2018 competition, named “Power Up,” has an old-school video game theme and robots from different schools will team up to place blocks to gain control of scales and switches to ultimately gain the most points and claim victory.
Besides being a time-intensive labor of love, the robots are pricey in parts as well. Challender thanked local supporters: ACE hardware, Access Manufacturing, Ample Electric, HRB and Associates, PG&E, the Escamilla Family, Barbara Dieter and the Winters Education Foundation.
After seeking parts all over the county to build the robot, Challender says there’s a definite winner.
“ACE Hardware in Winters is the best hardware store in Yolo County,” he said.
Challender is also grateful to the school district for their support and vision in supporting career-oriented learning opportunities.
“Our robot is as good as it is because of the engineering pathway,” said Challender. “All of the engineering in this robot is done by the students.”
More information about the event can be found at www.thebluealliance.com/event/2018cada.
