photo by: Joselyn King

Wheeling Park Higher College senior Ethan Matz shows the Iron Patriots MK 1 robot that lately won his group the state championship in abilities.

WHEELING – Ohio County Schools robotics teams bested most all in West Virginia at the state robotics championships this month, and now they appear to take on the planet.

There are 40 Ohio County students on their way to the Vex Robotics Planet Championship April 25-27 at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Arena in Dallas.

A single of the students is Wheeling Park Higher College senior Azariah Bayes, the “driver” for the Iron Patriots MK four robot that took the general state championship in West Virginia.

West Virginia was allocated spots for 14 teams in the planet championship, and Ohio County Schools took nine of them – 3 for WPHS, 4 from Bridge Street Middle College and two from Triadelphia Middle College .

photo by: Joselyn King

Wheeling Park Higher College senior Azariah Bayes demonstrates the Iron Patriots MK four robot that lately won his group the general state championship and a location in the planet finals in Dallas.

Bayes mentioned getting the greatest and most effective robot in the competitors is not generally what brings house a win for its group. The robots are constructed and coded to do points as shoot as numerous discs as they can into a net as it can in a 45-second period.

“I wouldn’t say it is the robot that is improved — I practice a lot,” Bayes mentioned. “I can outdrive all our opponents, and I can outshoot all our opponents.

“Our robot is above typical, but once more I wouldn’t say it is the robot. It is about drive practice with my drive group, and time management on the field.”

He took more than as the robot’s driver immediately after the start off of the season, but such as class time he estimates he practices driving the robot about 3 hours every day.

He mentioned there will be some modifications produced to the robot just before the planet championships, and that alternatively of shooting 4 discs at a time it will be in a position to shoot six – enabling the group the chance to score much more points for the duration of the allotted time period.

Bayes hopes to pursue a profession in engineering though in college, and is hunting into the possibility of attending Purdue University or the on the internet Southern New Hampshire University.

WPHS senior Ethan Matz and his group, Iron Patriots MK 1, also certified for the planet championships though winning the abilities championship for West Virginia.

He knows what sets his team’s robot apart from the other individuals.

“It’s rapidly – more rapidly than the other ones,” he mentioned. “It’s possibly the quickest a single in the state, and it possibly shoots the quickest, as nicely.”

Matz mentioned he produced some adjustments in the robot’s motors for the duration of the season to raise its speed.

Bridge Street Middle College eighth graders Mya White and Emma McNickle are excited to be heading to Dallas. Their Steels Devil III group was the state tournament champion amongst the middle college competitors.

They added they have been hunting forward to meeting new persons from about the planet, and getting in a position to increase upon their coding abilities.

JoJo Shay, innovation coordinator for Ohio County Schools, has about a month to coordinate the logistics of acquiring the 40 students and nine teams with their coaches and chaperones to Dallas.

That is double the quantity of robotics students who traveled to Dallas final year for the planet championships, she mentioned. It was their very first year of competing, and Ohio County Schools sent 4 teams.

“This year we certified nine teams, and that is a testament to their passion for robotics, and their level of competitors and their wish to get to the subsequent level,” she mentioned. “This year we have a lot much more youngsters.”

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