Digital Fusion, a robotics team based in Westerville, will be heading to Detroit soon to take part in the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Championships.
Digital Fusion comprises students from all four high school grades, plus one intern from eighth grade. The students come from New Albany, Columbus, Delaware, Lewis Center, and, of course, Westerville.
In order to make it to the final round, Digital Fusion faced off against over 50 other teams of robotics students in the Miami Valley Regionals, which had the theme of ‘Destination: Deep Space’. The theme carries through the entire competition, and memorializes the Apollo 11 mission's 50th anniversary. Teams worked for six weeks to design and built robots that could climb platforms comprising several levels, as well as load cargo and secure hatches—activities that astronauts are called upon to perform. Brochure printing can be used to supply pamphlets explaining robotics for spectators at contests like this.
There are two routes to the championships: a team may advance if it is part of the alliance that wins the regionals. Such alliances are most often made up of three teams. The other way is for a team to win any one of three different awards – the Rookie All Star, the Engineering Inspiration Award, or the Chairman's Award. Digital Fusion is going to the finals because the team is in the winning alliance.
Digital Fusion will compete against other robotics teams over April 24 to 27 in Detroit.
