Gladstone Bravebots

SAULT STE. MARIE — The BraveBots, the FIRST Robotics team from Gladstone Area High School, secured first place in their second district event of the season, which was held at Lake Superior State University. Out of 528 teams in Michigan, the Gladstone team is now ranked second in the state. They’ll be next heading to the Michigan State Championship, which will be held at Saginaw Valley State University April 3 through 5, with the 160 top-ranked teams.

A team from Escanaba, the NASA Technomos, finished in the top seven out of the 39 teams at the FIRST in Michigan District event at LSSU this past weekend. They faced the BraveBots in the finals.

The 39 teams were randomly assigned to “alliances” for qualification matches. Each alliance, made up of three teams, faced off with another alliance only once before partners were shuffled for subsequent matches. Each single team participated in 12 matches over the weekend, with different combinations of partners, before the semifinals began.

During the 80 qualifying matches, scout teams — subgroups of the school teams — watched from the stands, observing their competition and potential future partners.

The BraveBots scout team collected data and assessed which teams would complement their robot for the remaining matches. Only during the qualifying matches are alliances random; when it gets down to the wire, the highest-ranked teams choose which other teams they want on their sides for the finals.

Coach Tim Barron said that he gives “kudos” to his scout team for their data analysis and choice. Though Barron doubted one of their picks, a low-ranked team, “that team did a fantastic job for us,” he said.

During the final showdown, the BraveBots (team number 4391) teamed up with the Gladiators (4398) from St. Francis High School in Traverse City and the Boyne City Blaze (4377) from Boyne City High School. They squared off against the NASA Technomos (10505) from Escanaba, who picked as allies the Westend Gearbusters (4375) from Ishpeming and Westwood High Schools in Ishpeming and the AutoMatons (7768) from West Iron County Middle and High School in Iron River.

During both the qualification matches and the finals, the team captain — in the case of Gladstone, it was junior Peyton Rohr — visited the team’s allies to devise strategies.

At the close of the LSSU event, the BraveBots walked away with the Excellence in Engineering Award — a title they also won in Escanaba two weeks prior.

“This team has demonstrated exceptional engineering skill with a unique shooting mechanism that ensures precision and reliability while taking a brave shot. Their innovative use of a color camera for object detection and their meticulous attention to documentation–featuring detailed blueprints and electrical wiring diagrams–highlights their professional approach and dedication to excellence. The result is a brave engineering solution tailored to their needs,” read the script for the award given to the BraveBots in Sault Ste. Marie.

The Technomos have done very well for a team in their first season. They’re the second team out of Escanaba Area Public Schools; the RoboMos formed in 2011. The Technomos earned the Rookie All Star Award at the LSSU event.