Last weekend hundreds of students from around Australia and neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, China, and Hawaii took part in Australia’s largest robotics competition, hosted by FIRST Australia, sponsored by Macquarie University, Google and Ford.
Supported by fans, families, educators and industry leaders, the FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition Australia Regional awarded several teams with honours that rewarded design excellence, competitive play, sportsmanship and high impact partnerships between schools, businesses and communities.
TEAM 3132 Thunder Down Under, who meet at Macquarie year round, were one of 33 high school student teams to compete, and as part of the Regional Finalist team alliance, earned themselves a spot at the FIRST Championship, held April 23-26, 2015, in St. Louis, Missouri.
The team also won the Entrepreneurship Award, Industrial Safety Award, Engineering Inspiration Award and Robot Finalists, and members Katherine Allen and Kiatin Williamson were both FIRST Dean’s List Finalists. From Macquarie’s Department of Engineering, Professor Michael Heimlich won the Woodie Flowers Finalist Award, presented to an outstanding Mentor who best leads, inspires, teaches, and empowers their team.
Each of the teams worked with professional Mentors to design and build a robot over a six week period, to solve a problem using a kit of parts and a standard set of rules. This year’s recycling-themed challenge, RECYCLE RUSH, saw robots score points by stacking totes on scoring platforms, capping those stacks with recycling containers, and properly disposing of pool noodles, representing litter.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International) Professor Jim Lee was delighted to open the event on behalf of the University last Friday, 13 March.
“FIRST Australia is truly an inspirational organisation which develops tomorrow’s leaders in science and technology in a supportive framework that fosters and promotes innovation and integrity through ‘cooperative competition’.
“I am delighted that Macquarie, as a university of service and engagement, is the lead sponsor fully supporting this event, and we look forward to working more closely with FIRST to promote its programs across Australia and around the world.”
Prior to Saturday’s Grand Final, Vice-Chancellor Professor S. Bruce Dowton also gave an address, sharing his own story of having recently visited the Ivanhoe team in his hometown. The Ivanhoe Team 5573 won the Rookie Inspiration Award.
Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Barbara Messerle, spoke to the crowds at the conclusion of the event, congratulating all competitors on their hard work, and encouraging them to consider further education and career paths in science, technology, engineering and maths.