Shaw Boyd

Instructor, FCTC

   Fairfield Career and Technology Center's Mechatronics Team is the SkillsUSA  State Champion again for the Urban Search and Rescue Robot competition!

  As a result, the team will compete in the SkillsUSA National Championships in Atlanta, GA from June 23rd through June 27th. The competing team members are D'Asia Kennedy, a graduating senior, and Lamar Wright, an incoming freshman. The team must take a knowledge test will be interviewed by the competition judges. The competition consists of five challenges:

• Arm Mechanism Skill Challenge

Teams will demonstrate how effective they can use their robot to open mailboxes and remove ordinance at three levels of increasing difficulty.

• Navigation Skill Challenge

Teams will demonstrate basic robot navigation skills while controlling an ordinance by driving to specified areas of the field.

• Drive Chassis Skill Challenge

Teams will navigate multi-level terrain challenges to test the engineering of their chassis and overall robot design. Examples might be driving up smooth or rough ramps, a teeter totter, or a debris field.

• Camera POV Skill Challenge

Teams will demonstrate their Tele-Op/remote control driving proficiency using only POV (point of view) information transmitted from an onboard camera by navigating through a complex tunnel.

• Communication and Collaboration Skill Challenge

Teams will demonstrate communication and collaboration skills by navigating a course using only direction from a spotter. This simulates a potential hardware failure on a robot where the driver must depend only on information from the spotter for successful completion of the challenge.

  Please congratulate these students and wish them well in the competition when you see them!