They came armed with tanks and catapults, deployed pathfinders and some even tried to survive the sumo event.
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Though some of the combatants may have seemed menacing, the competition was friendly as 13 area high schools competed recently in the Southworks Engineering and Robotic Olympics at South Suburban College in South Holland.
Besides a competition, the event also was a way to help promote careers in manufacturing and engineering, organizers said. And because robotics competitions can be expensive, organizers matched businesses with schools, said Mollie Dowling, the executive director of Opportunity Advancement Innovation, which co-hosted the event.
“We created this so there were no barriers to entry and we lined up the businesses to sponsor them, too,” Dowling said.
The team from Crete-Monee High School, which won the catapult competition, also had a chance to tour Bimba Manufacturing, the company that sponsored its team, according to Coach Carl Scott. Bimba has also asked the students to apply for summer jobs, which Scott called an “excellent opportunity.”
“This is our first year in the competition,” Scott said. “We shot for the stars.”
The team, made up mostly of freshmen, is laying groundwork for next year’s competition, he said.
Students from Illiana Christian High School in Lansing entered all five events, and won in the pathfinder and survivor categories.
“I think it feels pretty good because it’s our first year,” said Illiana student Jason Heoksema, of Cedar Lake, Ind.
Oak Forest High School’s team built a steam-powered tank to win the autonomous racer category. Assistant Coach Stephen Hogan said they were very happy because they did not know that speed was a factor, yet still took first.
Homewood-Flossmoor High School’s team won the VEX competition in which students had to make robots that picked up balls and placed them in receptacles. .
About 160 students attended the April 8 competition at South Suburban college. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle presented the teams their awards to the winning teams.
Other teams that competed were from Bloom Trail, Hillcrest, Richards, Rich Central, Rich East, Thornridge, Thornton, Thornwood and Tinley Park high schools.
“We had to think about what we were going to do and how we would launch it,” said Myles Jones, of Crete, whose Crete-Monee team won the catapult competition.
“It took a while, and we finally got it completed,” said his twin brother, Tyler Jones.
Dowling, of the hosting organization, said this event is about promoting careers in engineering, allowing companies to mentor students, and matching young talent to the job force.
The other manufacturing companies included Alsip Minimill, Ardagh Group, Avatar Corporation, Chicago Magnesium, Gallagher Asphalt, Kay Manufacturing, Kocsis Brothers Machine Co., LB Steel, Mi-Jack Products, SET Enterprises, Trialco Aluminum and Whiting Corporation.
Other sponsors included Chicago Southland Economic Development Corporation, 3 Seeds Mentoring, Calumet Green Manufacturing Partnership, Prairie State College, Moraine Valley Community College and TCF Bank.
Erin Gallagher is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.