Beyer High robotics students prep for north state competition

The Beyer Iron Patriots Robotics Team competed in the Central Valley Regionals for the FIRST Robotics Competition. The team, from Beyer High in Modesto, reached the quarterfinals, placing 16th out of 49 teams and winning the Underwriters Laboratories Industrial Safety Award, according to Beyer robotics parent Michelle Laverty.

FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.

The competition was held over the weekend in Madera. On March 19, Beyer students will head to the University of California, Davis, for the Sacramento Regional contest.

The challenge was Recycle Rush, in which teams had to stack totes and trash cans and dispose of pool noodles, representing litter. The teams are challenged to raise money, design a team brand, hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors.

“It’s as close to ‘real-world engineering’ as a student can get,” notes the competition website. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team.

This story was originally published March 11, 2015 at 1:15 PM with the headline "Beyer High robotics students prep for north state competition."