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The Hazelwood Central High School 40-member robotics team, known as the Robohawks, is making amazing strides as rookies, thanks to its “Rack-n-Roll” heavy metal star member—”In Theory,” the robot.

At the Boilermaker Regional For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition held last week at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, the team won the Delphi “Driving Tomorrow’s Technology” Award for the design of ramps for “In Theory.”

“It was for engineering innovation,” said teacher Cathy Sylve, robotics team member and sponsor at Hazelwood Central. “The two ramps that we drop on the side are very unique and very different from all of the others. We made a sliding two-level ramp that balances out under the weight of our alliance robot.”

Team alliances use robots to compete in “Rack-n-Roll” at the FIRST competitions. The object of the game is for robots to hang inner tubes on racks to score points.

“We played so well in the elimination matches, we were one match from the finals,” Sylve said.

Robohawks team captain Lindsay Wendel earned a personal award—an $8,000 scholarship to attend Purdue University.

The Robohawks are going to Atlanta for the national finals on April 12 – 14, based on the team’s performance at the St. Louis robotics competition—where they also won the Rookie All-Star Award, and placed ninth overall in a field of 46 teams.

Supporters for the Robohawks include Emerson Tool Company, NASA, DRS Technologies, United Graphics Systems, parents and the district.

“There are three main mentors who are parents that come in to help. This has become a family-oriented project,” Sylve said.

Robohawks also help raise funds to help finance the competitions.

For more information on Robohawks, visit their Web site, http://www.hawkrobotics.net.

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