Dana Henry inspects the CyberKnight entry, “Knightro.” Looking on is team captain Natiya Washer and robot driver Mateusz Gaciarz.
By JEN CARDINES
STAFF WRITER
The Southington High School CyberKnights Team 195 robotics team competed last weekend at the FIRST Robotics Waterbury District Event. Their new robot named “Knightro” was unveiled for the first time when it hit the field.
Knightro
A total of 42 teams competed in Waterbury. With a rapid fire turret, on-field speed, and fast rope climb, Southington’s new robot finished in the semi-finals of the event and won the Creativity Award.
Now that they have officially tested their robot, Southington’s world-class team is hopeful for greater success. This week, they are facing a bigger variety of teams in a regional competition. They will travel to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) March 16-March 18 to compete at the Tech Valley Regional Event.
When competing in district events like the one in Waterbury, the CyberKnights can only face other teams in their district. That’s why they chose to branch out and attend a regional event where they can face other states, and even other countries.
“It’s a unique opportunity and lets you work with other teams,” said CyberKnights board member Sandra Brino.
During the competition at RPI, the CyberKnights will face teams from Turkey, Canada and India, as well as teams from across the nation.
Come April, the stakes will be high for Team 195 as they reach the advancement phase of their season. At that point, they will need good outcomes in order to move on to the next event.
Fans can watch the regional event via webcast. Information can be found at www.techvalleyfirst.org/index.php?page=webcast.