‘Newbotics’ team ‘gears up’ for league competition

When robotics teams enter a competition venue, there aren’t thousands of screaming fans or marching bands or “walk-up music.”

Even though the atmosphere won’t be like it is for some other activities, robotics teams take their craft seriously and still seem to have a lot of fun. That’s what the Newton High School “Newbotics” team will be aiming for when it heads to Corning on Jan. 10 for a league competition that could vault them into the state championships.

After qualifying for state in 2012-13, Newbotics narrowly missed a trip to state in 2013-14. NHS science teacher Eric Grabe said the Newbotics team is usually very competitive, and should get even stronger as it grows into a larger and larger unit. There are about 15 members on this year’s team.

“Last year, I think we were only one or two teams away from getting in,” Grabe said. “In 2013, we got into state, and that was with only four boys.”

Many are involved with at least one other extra-curricular activity, so it’s tough to get them all together at any one competition. The Jan. 10 two-league qualifier involves the Apple League, which includes Newbotics and teams from Osceola, Indianola and other cities, as well as the Kiwi League.

There are usually 10 to 12 teams in each “fruit name” league that make up Iowa’s For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Tech Challenge. The top-five placing teams at each of the eight two-league championships, or about 45-50 teams statewide, advance to the Iowa FTC State Championship, set for the weekend of March 6-7 in Coralville.

There, teams compete for a trip to March 26-28 North Super Regionals at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. The world competition is set for April 22-25, and is scheduled to be in St. Louis this year.

There are 199 registered teams in Iowa, in more than 40 counties. There are several different types of interscholastic competitions around the state.

NHS has had competitive finishes many times; a Newton High team placed third at a 24-team competition in 2009 at Iowa State University.

“The team’s work is so much different from regular schoolwork,” Grabe said. “It’s trial-and-error creativity. Some come and go, and say it ‘sounds interesting,’ but for the ones who are into the club enough to stick with it, there are all types of roles and jobs for students with different specialties. We have kids from all different walks of life on the team.”

Grabe said the Newbotics team is basically a replacement for the Information Technology Club that become popular over the past several years.

That club and its associated career fields have become so popular, Newton High began a Computer Programming course this fall, and there will be both Programming I and Programming II as a formal part of the 2015-16 NHS course catalog, with Algebra I as a pre-requisite. Newbotics is grateful to those who have sponsored the team, such as Hy-Vee and Thombert, Inc., Grabe said.

Local business support is key to helping recruit students to go into Iowa technology and engineering fields that will need many more new graduates in the years ahead.

Unlike the Lego competitions, Grabe said, the FIRST Tech Challenge requires building robots from the ground up.

“There’s a kit to start with, and a challenge theme, but you’re really starting from scratch,” Grabe said. “It’s really a huge step up for some kids, because they’re planning, designing, building and utilizing complex machines, with real everyday uses.”

Scholarships and technology careers are just a small part of what awaits Newbotics team members as they make memories while a part of a statewide fraternity of young scientists.

“As they go off to college, kids are making friends with the same young sharp minds they met at this level,” Grabe said.