/Portals/2/logos/cropped-5e9bdcc3-eafc-4bc8-89c4-6e9f9700492d-__tfmf_ufxmyinu1vthaselfhq0gtu2_aa68d375-2fb2-471e-9084-62cdaac801f4_0___selected.jpg en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Thu, 23 May 2013 10:19:27 GMT 15 By Lauren Lukens
The Park’s very own Lighting Robotics Team, Team 862, worked for six weeks to create one of their most innovative creations yet. This year, Team 862 produced a robot named Eddie. Some may ask: Why Eddie? The team decided on this name in honor of Edwin McClendon, a previous member of the Lighting Robots team that was diagnosed with bone cancer in January 2005 at the age of 16. After 5 years of fighting, McClendon lost his battle with cancer on April 2, 2010. “Eddie was only 21 when he died, but he had already found a group of people who, although they weren’t related to him, cared about him with all their hearts. Which is why this year we voted to name our robot ‘Eddie’ after one of the most kind-hearted, dedicated, and hard-working members of our Lightning Robotics family,” said Team 862 Lighting Robotics Advisor Jay Obsniuk. The process of creating Eddie was difficult and required the help and dedication of the entire team. In only six weeks, students had to work together to create the entire robot through programming, electrical, mechanical and marketing steps. “The only thing I think we could have done better is make our collector better at picking up balls that are at the edges of the court,” said Ian Pudney, Salem senior. The mechanical side of the building Eddie included a six wheel in line drive train with two omni-wheels on the front, design ideas for a bridge manipulator and CAD, Computer-Aided Design, drawing out the ideas for both. “Every year, Team 862 is presented with a challenge that tests our collective wits, knowledge and innovation. Each challenge requires a complete application of each subgroup's unique knowledge and demands full cooperation between each branch. Fortunately, our team has performed extremely well on all those fronts,” said Obsniuk. This year, Lightning Robotics’ robot is challenged with a game of basketball. This exciting contest is known as the first ever “Rebound Rumble.” The contest is carried out on a 27 by 54 foot basketball court and at each end of the court are four basketball hoops at three different heights. The game is played in two minute and 15 second matches. During the first 15 seconds, called the Hybrid period, the operators score baskets with pre-programmed instructions and no controller. In the last two minutes, called the Tele-op, human drivers take over. “ While rules and regulations are strictly adhered to at each competition, what's encouraged much more is a sense of competitiveness, team spirit, friendliness to all and a sense of inspiration. Our subgroups work hard to teach rookies everything they need to know and instill this sense of inspiration,” said Obsniuk. The Lighting Robotics team had their first district on Mar. 2 and 3 at Kettering University. They also participated in a second district on Mar. 30 and 31 at Livonia Churchill High School. Because of the points earned at these district competitions, Team 862 qualified as one of the 60 teams going to the State Championship at Eastern Michigan University on April 11, 12, 13 and 14, which could send the team to the World Championship in St. Louis on April 25, 26, 27 and 28. “ I'm proud of our robot, especially since he won us 2nd place at the Kettering District event, better than our team has done in a long time,” said Brandon Waggoner, Plymouth junior. P-CEP’s own robotics team will continue to keep up their hard work until the competitions are over and plan to carry out Edwin McClendon’s spirit with their 2012 robot. ]]> Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:06:46 GMT