Robotics Team's "Mr. Stubbs" Wins "Innovation in Control" Award

Groton-Dunstable Regional High School Robotics Team, The Robotomies, had a successful competition March 1 and 2 at the Granite State Regional FIRST Robotics Competition at Manchester Verizon Arena, NH.

Battling against seasoned robotics teams, The Robotomies gave an impressive performance, scoring a total of 290 points in 10 matches, where their robot became famous for doing an autonomous climb of a 90-inch pyramid in less than two minutes. The robot, nicknamed Mr. Stubbs, received a perfect score for climbing in nine out of 10 matches.

The team went on to quarter finals, where they were invited to join an alliance and achieved two more perfect climbs, bringing their total points to 350 overall. The Robotomies received The Innovation in Control Award by Rockwell, acknowledging the robot's "innovative control system to provide unique machine functions." The trophy for this distinguished honor is on display in the robotics team display case in the Commons.

Twenty-four students and 10 mentors from Groton have spent a fast-paced build season of six weeks designing and building a robot that would meet the test of this year's challenge. FIRST ("For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), is an organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen to encourage students to develop interests in science and technology. FIRST sponsors international robotics competitions, dispensing new challenges yearly for which students must build robots that follow specific engineering specifications. Teams that succeed form alliances and move ahead in the standings over the course of a three-day competition.

The Robotomies would like to thank their sponsors: National Defense Education Program; Society for Military Engineers; Raytheon; and the Ted and Connie Lapres Fund at the Community for North Central Massachusetts Foundation.