Building a Robot at John Dewey High School
By Fil Dispenza
Team 333, also known as the “Megalodons”, is a group of students from John Dewey High School who come together to build robots. Our robotics team has been part of the First Robotics Competition (FRC) since last decade and our team members are the inspiration and recognition of science and technology for our school. Technically, we contend in the design, construction, operations and application of robotics.
Every year for FRC, we get a challenge to build a robot in six weeks. For the building of these robots, students decide how the robot is going to be built and then work together to construct the robot. Our robotics team has functioned for 12 years and has earned the reputation as being reliable and enthusiastic having reinforced a variety of robots. Last year, we were given a challenge to throw a Frisbee into different goals and to climb a pyramid. After the intense six weeks of building, our robot went into the competition and earned 11th place out of the 66 competing robots.
Starting January 4, 2014 our team will be building a new robot for the First Robotics Competition. We are currently unsure of what our next challenge is going to be, but we are ready to take on anything. On March 27 to March 29, we will be competing at the SBPLI Long Island regional at Hofstra University. Then on April 4 to April 6 2014, we will be competing at our home Regionals in New York City at the Jacob Javits Center. Everyone is welcome to attend these free events.
Unlike most robotics teams, team 333 has gone out to the community to demonstrate their eagerness to participate in the First Robotics Competition, and spread First Robotics throughout the community. In October of 2012, the Megalodons created a robot that can go under water to manifest the marine life. The latest robot made by our applet builders can pitch a baseball a distance of 60 feet and six inches. This baseball robot threw the first pitch during a Brooklyn Cyclones game at MCU Park in Coney Island. At the moment, we are preparing our room for competition season by setting up our machinery, tools, and work benches for the upcoming event.#
