Hunterdon Central Regional High School's FIRST Robotics Team 3637, "The Daleks," opened its season with a silver medal at a competition held at Bridgewater-Raritan High School in Somerset County.
RARITAN TWP. - Hunterdon Central Regional High School's FIRST Robotics Team 3637, "The Daleks," opened its season with a silver medal at a competition held at Bridgewater-Raritan High School in Somerset County.
The Daleks, along with alliance partners Team 219 from Warren Hills Regional High School and Team 747 from Middlesex County, were silver medalists at the 38-team event, bringing home a finalist trophy, according to a news release.
Hunterdon Central teacher Kevin Mastropietro, Team 3637's founding adviser, was presented with the Donald Bowers Inspiration Award, given at FIRST Mid-Atlantic events this year in honor of the former regional director and FIRST Robotics advocate.
The Daleks also received the Creativity Award, which "celebrates creativity in design, use of component, or strategy of play."
Their winning robot, built in six weeks to compete in this year's STEAMWORKS challenge, features mechanisms that retrieve and place large gears on a simulated airship, and a "climber" apparatus enabling the robot to hoist itself alongside the airship with a rope, according to the release.
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Formed by a handful of students in 2010-11, Team 3637 has grown to over 60 members this season.
Each year's robot is conceived, designed, and built by Hunterdon Central students with help from teachers and mentors. The team has two advisers - a teacher and a business professional - and 23 volunteer mentors that include professional engineers, as well as business professionals from various disciplines who share their expertise in marketing, fundraising, accounting, and community outreach.
The FIRST organization ("For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology") describes itself as "More Than Robots," and Hunterdon Central's team works year-round to spread interest in STEM fields in the community.
The Daleks volunteer with elementary school students in afterschool LEGO programs, mentor two FIRST LEGO League teams, and hold workshops at the Hunterdon County Family Success Center and Hunterdon County Library. They have held demonstrations at the 4-H Fair, Raritan Township Community Day and NJ Makers Day.
The Daleks will next compete at Montgomery High School on Saturday and Sunday. The event is open to the public and there is no charge for admission.