2010 Oklahoma Regional Botball Tournament
Students from Oklahoma and Northern Texas will put their STEM education to the test at the 10th annual Oklahoma Regional Botball Tournament in Norman‚ Okla.‚ hosted by KISS Institute for Practical Robotics.
Norman‚ Okla. — March 1‚ 2010 — Middle and high school aged students from Oklahoma and Northern Texas will vie for top honors within their region at the 10th annual Oklahoma Regional Botball Tournament‚ March 6th‚ at Norman High School in Norman‚ OK.
Oklahoma regional teams kicked off the 2010 Botball season in mid January with a two-day regional workshop that was held on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman‚ Okla.
Since the workshop‚ teams have had seven weeks to strategize a game plan‚ design and build their robot(s)‚ write computer code used to direct their robots during game play and to document their work in preparation for the regional tournament.
While Botball always requires students to use autonomous robots to complete game tasks‚ the game theme changes each year‚ which allows students to continue learning through the program. In recent years the game has focused on solving real-world problems‚ and this year’s game is no different as it addresses clean up efforts for oil spills caused by natural disasters.
“This year’s theme encourages students to research‚ understand and generate solutions to a global challenge ‚ ” said Steve Goodgame‚ Executive Director for KISS Institute for Practical Robotics. “To be successful‚ teams must rescue oily ducks and trapped frogs and deliver them to cleaning stations and newly cleaned wetland areas. Students must also corral clean ducks onto a strip of grass to be counted and tagged before being released back into the wild and finally‚ they must clean the contaminated lake by neutralizing oil slicks with appropriately sized sorbents; and they must do this all in 90 seconds using only two pre-programmed robots.”
The Oklahoma Regional Botball Tournament is free and open to the public.
Schedule
Seeding Rounds: 10:00 a.m. to noon
Double Elimination: 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Awards Ceremony: following end of Double Elimination
Speakers
Lt. Governor Jari Askins will address students during opening ceremonies at 10:00 a.m. and Attorney General Drew Edmondson will speak at the opening of the Double Elimination rounds at 1:30 p.m.
Botball and KISS Institute for Practical Robotics
Botball is a team-oriented robotics competition that engages students by challenging them to create two autonomous (software controlled) robots that work together to complete the tasks of each year’s Botball game.
By participating in Botball‚ students learn the principles of science‚ technology‚ engineering and math (STEM) through hands-on experience with computer programming‚ sensors and mechanical systems. The Botball competition also develops students’ teamwork and communication skills through required written project documentation and oral presentations.
Over 6‚000 students participate in Botball every year‚ and over 40‚000 have participated over the course of its history.
Botball is a program of KISS Institute for Practical Robotics‚ a non-profit 501(c)3 organization based in Norman‚ Oklahoma.
For more information about Botball‚ go to http://www.botball.org or contact info@kipr.org.
The Oklahoma Regional Botball Tournament is sponsored in part by: NASA Robotics Alliance Project‚ iRobot‚ Igus‚ SolidWorks‚ Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission‚ Common Sense RC.com.
Contact:
KISS Institute for Practical Robotics
info@kipr.org
(405) 579-4609
2010 Oklahoma Regional Botball Teams
Alcott Middle School‚ Norman‚ OK
Apple Creek Elementary (6th Grade)‚ Moore‚ OK
Ben Franklin Science Academy‚ Muskogee‚ OK
Brink Junior High Robotics‚ Moore‚ OK
Broadmoore Elementary (6th Grade)‚ Moore‚ OK
Bryant Elementary (SEARCH), Moore, OK
Central Elementary (6th Grade), Moore, OK
Cheyenne High School, Cheyenne, OK
Clinton Middle School, Clinton, OK
DeWitt Perry Middle School, Carrollton, TX (3 teams)
Dimensions Academy High School, Norman, OK
Edison High School, Tulsa, OK
Edmond North High School, Edmond, OK
Episcopal School of Dallas, Dallas, TX
Fairview Elementary (6th Grade), Moore, OK (2 teams)
Fort Gibson High School, Fort Gibson, OK
G-Mont 7, Gracemont Public School, Gracemont, OK
Houchin Elementary (6th Grade), Moore, OK
Howe High School, Howe, OK
Kingston High School, Kingston, OK
Longfellow Middle School, Norman, OK
Metro Christian Academy, Tulsa, OK (2 teams)
Moore West Junior High, Moore, OK
Moss Public School, Holdenville, OK
Newman Smith High School, Carrollton, TX
Norman Advanced Botball, Norman High School, Norman, OK
Northmoor Elementary (SEARCH), Moore, OK
R.L. Turner High School, Carrollton, TX
Southwest Covenant School, Yukon, OK (2 teams)
St. Mark’s School of Texas, Dallas, TX
Taft Middle School, Oklahoma City, OK
Western Heights High School, Oklahoma City, OK
Whittier Middle School, Norman, OK (2 teams)