Students prep for robotics tourney

The J.D. Lever Elementary school fifth-graders were hard at work Thursday, getting their robot ready for a regional First Robotics Lego League competition at Aiken Technical College Saturday.

The students will have to program and "drive" the small car on a special track during the event.

"The course is like you're driving a car for a test and go through all these obstacles and stuff," said Dennis Perea.

The regional event includes elementary and middle school teams with students ages 9-14. A total of 14 teams will participate, said Pat O'Neill, the Aiken County Career Center director who established the M'Aiken Magic robotics program in 2002. Formal competition will start about 10:30 a.m.

A reorganization of the regional events has added a new site in South Carolina, allowing the Aiken-area schools to stay at home and avoid traveling, said O'Neill.

The other schools with squads included Schofield Middle School, St. Mary Help of Christians School, Mead Hall, East Aiken Elementary School and Aiken Christian School.

With a transportation theme this year, the Lever students also completed a research project, studying the traffic situations around East Pine Log Road, especially in the area of Millbrook and Kennedy middle schools. The students propose in part a "park 'n ride" bus system and another way to help children.

"It would be cool to build a cross-over bridge so people wouldn't get hurt," said Bethany Sowell.

Technology advances in recent years have improved software to make some programming needs easier, said O'Neill.

"But the challenges have also increased," he said. "It's fun to see what the kids can do. I hear people around town talk about robotics and can see how far the program has come."

O'Neill expressed his appreciation to Aiken Technical College officials for providing the gymnasium in the Student Activity Center.

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.