GROVE CITY, Pa. — Clarion Area High School’s Robotics Team will head to Grove City College for the seventh annual Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology (B.E.S.T.) Robotics Competition set for October 28 and 29.
The upcoming competition will mark Clarion Area’s sixth year participating in the event, and the last year any of its founding members will be active members of the team.
This year’s competition theme is “Bet the Farm,” wherein robots must collect a crop of corn, plant corn seeds, pick hydroponic tomatoes and lettuce, water corn, and gather pigs into a pen.
Clarion Area’s team named its group Robocore F.I.E.L.D. (Farming Intelligent Engineering Logistical Designs) for the challenge.
The team will compete with its robot “Bert,” short for “Botanical Extending Robotic Tractor.” “Bert” was based on a scissor lift and bucket scoop in order to extend and pick up various crops.
Last year, Clarion Area won fifth place overall, first in engineering notebook, first in spirit, third in marketing, and fourth in exhibit.
B.E.S.T. Robotics Competition has drawn 18 teams from regional public and private schools as well as the homeschooling community.
The national robotics competition exposes students to important STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) concepts through a hands-on experience that tests their problem-solving, design, and engineering skills.
“Bert” will compete in the 2016 B.E.S.T Robotics Competition at Grove City College.
Other competing teams this year include:
- Cornerstone Prep
- Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy
- Family Instructors of the Northern Suburbs
- Grove City High School
- Mercer Area High School
- Slippery Rock Middle School
- Union Area High School
- West Middlesex High School
- Christian Life Academy
- Commodore Perry High School
- Grove City Area Homeschoolers
- Kennedy Catholic High School
- Commodore Perry Middle School
- Franklin Area Middle School
- Holy Trinity School
- Redeemer Lutheran School
- Grove City Middle School
Clarion Area High School extends a thank you to the following donors:
– Clarion American Legion Post #66
– Fryburg Sportsman’s Club
– Clarion Boards
– A.J. Schieszler
– Stahlman Plumbing and Heating
– The Fraternal Order of the Eagles
– The Clarion Rotary Club
– C-93 Radio Station
– Loyal Order of the Moose #101
– Hager Paving
– Burford Construction, Inc.
– The Clarion V.F.W.
– Matt Lerch
– Computer Support
– Brookville Mining
– Burford and Henry Real Estate Services
