Robotics teams from Chesapeake (Ohio) High School battled their way to the top during the Marshall University VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) Qualifier Dec. 9 in Huntington. Chesapeake captured five of seven awards, including the Excellence Award and Tournament Championship.
Chesapeake teams P.I.C.N.I.C eRROR and Wasted Energy were named tournament co-champions. Wasted Energy also won the Excellence Award, while P.I.C.N.I.C eRROR took home the Robot Skills Championship and the Judge’s Award. Because of their proximity to West Virginia, the Chesapeake teams compete in Mountain State competitions.
Team Mechallica from Montcalm High School in Mercer County won the Robot Design Award, while System Overload, a team from DuPont Middle School in Kanawha County, won the Innovation Award.
The two Chesapeake teams and Montcalm’s Mechallica will advance to the West Virginia VRC Championship March 10-11, 2024, in Fairmont.
During Sunday’s Marshall University Aerial Drone Qualifier at Tri-State Airport, the Winged Warriors of Riverside High School in Kanawha County and the Drone Boyz of Hamlin P-8 School in Lincoln County swooped in to win the high school and middle school Teamwork Champions Awards, respectively.
The Country Drone, Take Me Home team from Brooke High School captured the high school Excellence Award while South Middle School from Morgantown took home the middle school Excellence Award. Meanwhile, the Higher Challenger team from Brooke was crowned the Drone Skills Champion (high school) and South Middle School earned the title of middle school Drone Skills Champion.
Other team awards were:
- Flight Operations Award: When Pigs Fly from South Middle School in Morgantown
- Think Award (most consistent and effective coding techniques and programming design): Team Hermes from South Middle School
- Inspire Award (team that shares it experiences, enthusiasm and knowledge with others): Flying Eagle Robotics from Woodrow Wilson High School in Beckley
- Judges Award: Red Barons of Perry County (Ky.) Central High
At least three of the winning teams will advanced to the 2024 Northeast Aerial Drone Championship Dragonfly May 17-18, 2024, at Fairmont State University in Fairmont. Selections will be determined after the completion of other qualifier events across the state.
MAMC has sponsored robotics and drone event for more than a decade with support from the NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium, the NASA IV&V Education Resource Center and the West Virginia Robotics Alliance.
Dec. 20, 2023
