Indiana High School robotics teams are fine-tuning their robots after advancing to the state championship from their respective district events. Kokomo Memorial Gymnasium will be transformed for the state championship competition April 13 & 14. The teams will battle each other for a few coveted positions to represent the state of Indiana at the World Championships April 25th-28th.

Going into the State Championship the IndianaFIRST district leader is TechHOUNDS from Carmel Indiana and they lead with 142 district points. Ranked second is Team THRUST from Huntington Indiana with 115 district points, and Kil-A-Bytes from Indianapolis Indiana is ranked third with 114 district points. (See listing below for complete rankings)

April 13th & 14th at Kokomo Memorial Gymnasium in Kokomo Indiana, students, engineering and technical mentors will demonstrate their skill for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In what is often call the varsity sport for the mind they will compete for honors and recognition that reward design excellence, competitive play, sportsmanship, and high-impact partnerships between schools, businesses, and communities.

The matches are timed and anything can happen. Often the final score will be decided by just one single event. Just like in a basketball game the difference between winner and looser is often just a fraction of a second. In fact, the atmosphere of a robotics competition is markedly similar to a basketball game; fans decked out in spirited clothing, constant cheering, and the moments of euphoria when a team scores just before the buzzer rings. It is a truly incredible experience for all involved.

At the conclusion of this State Championship event, the team standings will determine which teams qualify to attend the World Championship held in Detroit Michigan April 25th-28th

While the on-field competition is fierce, collaboration is another important aspect of robotics tournaments. Supporting one another, lending a helping hand or a critical tool, and working together – even from rival teams and schools – is part of the experience.

Game Desctiption:
FIRST® Power Up℠, the 2018 FIRST® Robotics Competition game, finds our teams trapped in an 8bit video game! Teams use power cubes (milk crates) to defeat the boss (score points). Whichever team defeats the boss by the end of the game gets the W. Each three-team alliance has three ways to help defeat the boss. The first way teams may score is by owning the scale (high seesaw teeter-totter) or their switch (low seesaw teeter-totter). Ownership occurs when the scale or alliance’s switch is tipped in their favor. Robots collect and deliver power cubes to gain ownership. The second way teams may score is by playing power ups. Alliances exchange power cubes for power ups. Power ups provide a timed advantage during the match. The longer the seesaw teeter-totter is tipped in your direction, the more points you score. There are three power ups that can be played: Force, Boost, and Levitate. The third way teams may score is by climbing the scale tower. Robots work together to climb the scale tower to face the boss (score points).

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