Robotics team gains popularity

Several Warsaw High students have joined other local teens with similar interests in robotics and are finding success at robotics competitions.

  Robotics is a branch of technology that has design, construction, operation and application of robots. The robotics team was formed by a local teen.

  “Jonathan Kjar wanted to get the team started down here to compete because he was on a team in Kansas City for two years and wanted to get locals involved,” team sponsor James Kjar said.

  This is the very first year of the robotics team. Fall of last year was their first season. The new season started the first Saturday of January this year. The robotics team is in the Kansas City and Heartland Regional contests.

  “This year, robotics are performing fire fighting, and video game theme of controlling box’s,” team sponsor James Kjar said.

  Members of the robotics team include 8th grader Jeremiah Daffron, freshmen Jared Thomas and Markus Kjar, sophomores Jacob Weiser, Scott Winter, Kathryn Ricke and Shawn Carter, finally juniors Rosie Daffron and Jonathan Kjar.

  “We build robots to do a specific task for presentation,” freshman Jared Thomas said.
  Robots that are built have tasks, such as picking up boxes and scoring points. Naming the robot is an important part of titlement ownership of the built creation.

  “The robot that we have is named ‘Bubbles’ after the Powerpuff Girls,” Winters said.

  The team builds robots at Jesters bowling alley, a place with a perfect atmosphere for working together to achieve their main goal of building robots. Each mind works together to achieve a part of the robot to get to where they want the robot to do.

Creating a robot requires hands-on and textbook work with a skillful and mathematical mind.

  “I joined robotics, because I enjoy the idea of building something out of materials, but not the textwork that robotics bring.” Weiser said.

  However, the team is working on computer systems, programing website design, working art program and writing the paper of each system and program. This will hopefully lead the team to keep competing with other teams and improve their skills to build and create robots that require a skillful mind of all ages.

 “Seeing students’ creativity and overcome problems is what I enjoy the most in robotics,” said James Kjar.