Colorado Springs robotics tournament draws teams from across US

Feb. 20—Forty teams of STEM superstars from across the continent converged on Colorado Springs for the Pikes Peak Robotics Classic over the weekend.

The two-day competition, coordinated by the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, had the feel of an athletic event. Bleachers lined the Broadmoor's Colorado Hall, and parents cheered wildly with each success and groaned with every setback. Referees in striped jerseys officiated the events, and teenagers could be seen huddling, mapping out strategies, high-fiving, and occasionally arguing.

According to event officials, the sports vibe was not an accident.

"We want to create events that make our future engineers feel like football and basketball stars," said Erik Huffman, president of Pikes Peak Robotics, a local STEM-focused nonprofit.

"They may not score a touchdown or hit a game-winning shot, but to build a robot and make it move autonomously...to me, that's every bit as impressive. These kids don't typically get that type of love, but they deserve it."

Dan Mantz, CEO of the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation, echoed Huffman's sentiments.

"In our culture, everybody identifies with sports," Mantz said. "Sports are well funded, and athletes are celebrated. So the idea is to create competitions that celebrate our kids who are really good at math and science."

About half of the teams were from Colorado, with 10 teams hailing from Colorado Springs, but several came from as far away as New York, Florida, Washington, D.C., Massachusetts and Canada. Most teams came to the Centennial State with an eye toward qualifying for the VEX Robotics World Championship in April, but some entered the competition to see how they measured up against some of the top robotics squads in the U.S.

"The level of competition at this event is way up there," said Susan Forget, who coaches Sabin Middle School's robotics team. "We're a (lower income) public school, and we're going up against private schools with way more resources. We're trying to grow our kids and help them gain more confidence, and this is one of the ways we can do that."

The REC Foundation oversees about 3,000 robotics competitions a year, and most of them don't take place in a venue with a chandelier overhead, Mantz said.

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"Most of (the competitions) are in high school gyms," he said. "But this is a signature event, designed to elevate the experience. So not all of our events are like this, but the idea (of the Broadmoor event) is for all the teams to have a great experience, whether they win or not."

Audrey Mechenbier, a competitor from Sabin Middle School, said she found the experience eye-opening.

"I'm having tons of fun," said Mechenbier, 13. "The games are great, and they're really well planned out."

Robotics disciplines serve as a kind of feeder system for aerospace, tech, and other industries reliant on STEM talent. About 80% of robotics go on to STEM-related careers, Huffman said.

"A lot of us here are in engineering and robotics, and at some point we need to be able to retire, to pass the mantle to someone else," he said. "These kids are our future."

After a qualifying round, the top teams formed 16 "alliances," made up of two teams each. Those teams faced off in a single-elimination showdown, with Huffman serving as emcee and play-by-play announcer.

In a best-of-three final, the alliance of Team Omega from Great Neck, N.Y., and Pronounce This from Longmont High School won the Classic championship, and automatically qualify for Worlds, which Pikes Peak Robotics vice president Nat Sobin calls "the biggest robotics tournament on Planet Earth."

But Huffman said every kid at the Classic was a winner.

"For kids this age to build a robot, and to program it to move by itself, is amazing," he said. "They're way better than I was at that age. Whether they're in first place or last place, they've all impressed me."

Carol Kujawa, engagement manager for the REC Foundation, agrees.

"These kids give me hope for the future," Kujawa said. "When I look at these kids — their skill, their dedication — I think, 'We're gonna be okay.'"

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