BunnyBot Competition

The BunnyBot competition was designed as an opportunity for students brand-new to robotics, in teams all over the area, to test their newly-acquired skills in building and controlling an actual robot, getting them ready for the upcoming FIRST competition.

With FIRSTFare, students and mentors learned about the robotics program; now we needed something to allow them to apply the concepts they learned. To help teams do this, last year we dreamed up a preseason competition: the BunnyBot competition. This year, 10 bunnybots competed, a huge increase from last year.

Trevor and Brad, members of our design department, designed the rules for this year's competition. Other Flaming Chickens built the field, organized teams, and hosted the event.

This year, the challenge for teams was to build a robot that can pick up and deliver tennis balls and stuffed animals. Knocking over a tennis ball filled teeter-totter in the middle of the field earned teams bonus points. Each competition round took 2.5 minutes, and at the end, an informal prize was given to the team with the most success.

The Capture the Bunny competition provided some valuable experience in building and operating a robot for the new members of all teams involved. In addition, it was a valuable bonding experience for the two teams. Everyone left the event with some new experience under their belt, and it really got us excited for the upcoming kickoff for the 2009 challenge!