Six weeks after receiving a challenge to build a robot that can play a robot variation of the game Ultimate Frisbee, Wolcott Students have completed their student built 120 pound robot. The students are all members of Team Max 1071, a team participating in the FIRST®
(For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition. The Wolcott students we’re unveiled this year’s game ULTIMAE ASCENT, back in January. They then have been designing and building their robot for a league enforced build cut-off on February 19 .

Founded by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST was created to inspire young people’s interest and
participation in science and technology. The FIRST Robotics Competition is an annual competition that helps students discover the rewards and excitement of science, engineering, and technology. The 2013 season is expected to include 2,548 teams from 16 countries competing in 58 Regional events; 17 District competitions; and the FIRST Championship in St. Louis, April 24-27.

Wolcott began with FRC in 2003 with the creation of Team Max 1071. Now in its 11 season, Team Max currently has 35 students participating working alongside 10 professional mentors coming from companies such as Sikorsky Aircraft, Hamilton Sundstrand, and United Technology Corporation.

The 2013 game, ULTIMATE ASCENT, is played between two Alliances of three teams each. Each Alliance competes by trying to score as many flying discs into their goals as possible during the two-minute and 15-second match. Discs scored in higher goals score Alliances more points. Matches end with robots attempting to climb up pyramids located near the middle of the field.

Throughout the 6 weeks of “Build Season” the Team Max students came to work on the robot virtually every day throughout the season. After deciding on a strategy for this year’s game, students broke up into several sub-teams that worked proto-typing, designing, and finally building the different components to the robot. Towards the end of the season, all these different components came together to make the robot that was then wired and programmed in the final steps for it’s completion.

After the end of the “Build Season” on February 19 , Team Max along with all other FRC Teams will be competing in Regional Competitions that measure the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration, and the determination of students.

Team Max 1071 will be competing at the Connecticut Regional Sponsored by UTC, held March 28th-30th, in Hartford, CT, and at the Pine Tree Regional, held April 4th-6th, in Lewiston, ME. In addition to competing for top awards at these regional events, the team will be vying for a spot in the FIRST World Championship, held April 24th-27th, at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, MO.

ABOUT TEAM MAX 1071

As a team participating in the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC), Team MAX 1071 (Founded in 2003) inspires high school aged students of the Wolcott, CT area to become science and technology leaders through its mentor based robotics program that builds science, engineering and technology skills, inspires innovation, and fosters self-
confidence, communication, and leadership. In addition to participating in FRC, Team MAX helps run and assist several robotics programs in the Wolcott area, including programs at the other levels of FIRST. The team is also the presenting host of the Where is Wolcott Invitational (WIWI). WIWI is a spring off-season community event in FRC that
allows teams to get more use out of their robots, and to continue practicing the skills and values of FIRST beyond the time-frame of the regular season. For more information on Team MAX 1071, visit www.max1071.com