Rogers State University’s robotics team members are My Le (from left), Nghi Nguyen, Curtis Sparling (advisor) and Nghi Nguyen.
Rogers State University’s new robotics team, the RoboClaws, recently returned from their first competition, where the team advanced to the finals bracket.
Held in Grandville, Michigan, the West Michigan Holiday VEX U Over/Under Tournament was a 10-hour competition, involving robotics teams from 13 different universities.
“The team was able to advance to the finals bracket, but ultimately lost a close match to the number three seeded team, with a score of 53-60,” said Curtis Sparling, head of the RSU Department of Technology and Justice Studies and robotics team advisor. “That said, for them to have done so well at their first competition is quite an accomplishment.”
VEX U is the collegiate division of robotics competition. Teams compete against one another on a 12’ x 12’ square field, playing for dominance through scoring more than their opponents by scoring triballs in goals and by elevating the robot at the end of the match.
With the RoboClaws’ first competition under their belts, the team members are now re-engineering their two robots, based on the lessons learned from the experience, and making modifications to prepare for their next competition in February 2024 at the Illini Cornfield Clash at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois.
The RoboClaws team members are Khai Nguyen, Nghi Nguyen and My Le, all of whom are from Vietnam.
RSU’s robotics team was funded through an anonymous donation of $6,500 to the AeroCats STEM Training Team community, given during Giving Week in September 2023.