Post by Charity on Feb 24, 2004 0:15:10 GMT -5
Home-Schoolers Win Robotics Contest by Stuart Shepard
SUMMARY: Home-schoolers have been collecting trophies in the national spelling bee and the geography bee. Now they have a big trophy for robotics.
Picture small heaps of motors, wires and Lego pieces deftly scooting around a table collecting Ping-Pong balls. That's BotBall.
"Our robot is about 12 inches long, it's got a basket that flips out by rubber-band power," said 16-year-old Chris Ghigliotti, one of nine home-schoolers from Norman, Okla., who designed and constructed a very successful robot. They placed first in a head-to-head competition, and second overall against 40 other teams. The group is the first all home-school team ever to compete in the tournament.
"I guess we'd be like a stepping stone for home- schoolers, and now more home-schoolers are getting to know BotBall, and getting to know more things are out there for them," Ghigliotti said.
"This involved more than just memorization," said Laurie Ghigliotti, mother of three of the children on the team. "This involved trying to work through problems and working as a team."
Laurie Ghigliotti said she has already noticed a change in the way people perceive home-schoolers.
"I know that people at church are looking at my kids a little differently," she said.
Harrison Pennel, who helped coach the team, said the win certainly gave him a boost of encouragement. His 12-year-old home-schooled son also helped build the robot.
"I feel like we can compete with the public schoolers very well," Pennel said.
The team, which called their entry the "Swiss Army Bot," also won the Judges' Choice Award for its design. The team members say the biggest problem now is where to store the trophy, since they don't have a school building.
Incidentally, the founder of the tournament designed the prototype for the Mars Rover.
SUMMARY: Home-schoolers have been collecting trophies in the national spelling bee and the geography bee. Now they have a big trophy for robotics.
Picture small heaps of motors, wires and Lego pieces deftly scooting around a table collecting Ping-Pong balls. That's BotBall.
"Our robot is about 12 inches long, it's got a basket that flips out by rubber-band power," said 16-year-old Chris Ghigliotti, one of nine home-schoolers from Norman, Okla., who designed and constructed a very successful robot. They placed first in a head-to-head competition, and second overall against 40 other teams. The group is the first all home-school team ever to compete in the tournament.
"I guess we'd be like a stepping stone for home- schoolers, and now more home-schoolers are getting to know BotBall, and getting to know more things are out there for them," Ghigliotti said.
"This involved more than just memorization," said Laurie Ghigliotti, mother of three of the children on the team. "This involved trying to work through problems and working as a team."
Laurie Ghigliotti said she has already noticed a change in the way people perceive home-schoolers.
"I know that people at church are looking at my kids a little differently," she said.
Harrison Pennel, who helped coach the team, said the win certainly gave him a boost of encouragement. His 12-year-old home-schooled son also helped build the robot.
"I feel like we can compete with the public schoolers very well," Pennel said.
The team, which called their entry the "Swiss Army Bot," also won the Judges' Choice Award for its design. The team members say the biggest problem now is where to store the trophy, since they don't have a school building.
Incidentally, the founder of the tournament designed the prototype for the Mars Rover.