Crazed regional for teens, robots

A hundred teams stirred up their own March madness this weekend in Seattle's Sodo District, home of what organizers say is the nation's biggest regional showdown in high-school robotics.

These teenage tinkerers are the front line of America's effort to rebuild the prestige of science, technology, engineering and math.

About 5,000 people watched or participated in the FIRST Robotics finals Saturday at Qwest Field Events Center, for a total of 12,000 people in three days.

"Every one of these kids has a chance for a career. This represents a big thing for them; 100 percent of these kids can go pro," said Conrad Ball, board chairman for Washington FIRST and chief engineer for Boeing Military Aircraft. "I don't want to denigrate sports, but this is more for the kids."

With contests on two courts, separated by a pit-crew zone for repairs, the scene looked like basketball tourneys in the Tacoma Dome, but more raucous. Teams displayed flags, painted hair, even bear, dog and skunk mascots. Instead of trash-talking, teams practiced "coop-etition," such as helping with repairs, or were dancing courtside between rounds.

Each 135-second round pitted a pair of three-robot coalitions against each other, requiring teens to make alliances and plot strategy with people they had just met.

First, the wheeled machines were preprogrammed to hang a yellow inner tube on a raised pole; then they fetched inflatable shapes off the ground and hung them; finally, "mini-bots" the size of small monkeys were sent to climb a pole. Fans screamed from the bleachers when minibots decided final matches in the last 2 seconds.

One of the happiest groups was the first-year "Raiderbots" club from Seattle's Nathan Hale High School, which broke into the semifinal round. Team members faced adversity in February when their robot's movable arm malfunctioned. So they competed using a primitive fixed arm of PVC plastic.

Fortunately, the students devised a swiveling minibot with extra-strong magnets to easily clamp on to the pole. Hale won a round Saturday by defensively bumping its opponents, then dispatching the minibot up the pole in the final seconds.

Team member Sophia Brandon leapt and the teammates hugged. It was sweet karma after someone told her their robot was "one of the most minimalistic I've ever seen."

But on the other hand, "In engineering, simple is good," said Max Departee, who manned the control sticks for Hale. The team complemented powerhouse Aviation High School of Des Moines, the Duke of local robotics, and its high-scoring pneumatic arm. The third ally, Auburn High School, supplied a sturdy machine with a steel pincer arm.

"It's our rookie year, and making it as far as we did was a big deal for us," Departee said, stopping to shake hands with an Auburn techie. Hale won a "Rookie Inspiration" award from adult judges.

Many companies and universities sponsor teams or scholarships. Boeing alone says it donated $1 million and 48,000 employee hours to the robotics. Microsoft opened workshop space in Redmond for Franklin High School of Seattle, whose robotics team crossed the lake and often worked past midnight, said coach Madison Krass.

The FIRST (Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) program was founded 20 years ago in New Hampshire by Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway. Besides robotics, there are Lego events for younger students. Altogether about 11,000 children are involved.

Mike Lindblom: 206-515-5631 or mlindblom@seattletimes.com