Bush Bots Return From Southern Cross Championships

Report by Mrs Sharon Grellman and Mr Steve Druce

The journey into Deep Space has certainly provided some challenges for Team 6050, the Wee Waa High School Bush Bots.

This year’s competition was designed to celebrate the 50 years since NASA placed someone on the moon. The team displayed the exact same qualities of those early engineers and astronauts and persevered through some trying times.

For the entire practice day the team worked towards getting the robot through inspection. Despite identifying problems, seeking solutions and resolving each and every little issue, the team didn’t make it onto the field until their first match. Without driving practice, or even the ability to test each subsystem, the drive team displayed true grit to perform in each match.

Remarkably, it wasn’t until the 10th match that the team had everything working at the same time. Each time one problem was resolved, a different issue arose.

Finishing a credible 16th before alliance selection, it was testimony to the team’s spirit that they were able to modify the robot and their game strategy and be selected by the second alliance to participate in the finals.

Our team, 6050 joined with 6510 - PLC Pymble Pride and our alliance captain 7310 - FABLAB MDHS from Taiwan. The Bush Bots took a very tactical role creating havoc by playing a strong defensive and counter attack role, enabling our team to progress through the quarter finals and on to the semi-finals.

Our robotics excursion is not only ever about the competition. In between matches and feverously working on the robot in the pits, our team members were able to mingle with many of the other teams.

This year, there was a large contingent of teams from China and Chinese-Taipei and this enabled us to explore cultural differences. In matches, negotiating team strategy also involved a translator to assist with language problems.

On Saturday night the team was treated to a night at the SCG courtesy of some very kind local families who donated tickets to the Noble Stand to watch the Waratahs and Reds battle it out in the Super Rugby. For some students, it was their first time inside a stadium at a big sporting event.

There are different ways each team could interpret the same challenges our team experienced. Our team is blessed to have some very keen supporters and mentors. We were accompanied in Sydney by parents and mentors who kindly donated many hours to develop the team and the robot. Additionally, our team was able to provide support to another team that remarkably came to Sydney with an incomplete robot.

Our team’s mentors are very proud of the way the Bush Bots performed. On Sunday night, it looked possible that they may not have a working robot to compete. Their approach to adversity was admirable and we are very proud that we managed to make it to the semi-finals for the third year in a row. We are also grateful for the support from our school and community, enabling us to represent the school in this manner.

Luan Heimlich (FIRST Australia) said: 'Every time I see your team, it makes my heart sing as FIRST is about kids and inspiration and your students embody exactly that.'

When we asked each of our team members for their thoughts about this year’s competition, here is what they had to say.

Hayden Shearin. ‘It’s just amazing how much work we had to do just to get the robot on the field.’

Sam Galagher, ‘The competition was a lot harder this year and teams were less consistent in their performance.’

Isaac Weaver, ‘It was a great experience and great fun. We learnt about how large and intense the competition is at an international tournament.’

Michael Horne, ‘I was amazed at how many overseas teams came to compete and the way each team interpreted the game.’

Emily Shearin, ‘We learnt how important resilience and persistence is it was a very complicated task was this year.’

Cait Downes, ‘I really enjoyed coaching our younger team members so that they can fulfil the roles that we vacate when we finish Year 12 this year.’

Dean Bennett Clancy, ‘I had a great time socialising and making new friends as I talked to other teams about their safety and compliance.’

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