The team poses before the FIRST© logo at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Woodlawn High School’s champion robotics team, the Technowarriors, is gaining quite a reputation for its technical skills not only across Baltimore County but nationally as well.

The team’s most recent national stage came with the school year ending and team members traveling to Atlanta, Ga., for the FIRST© Robotics 2006 National Championship. The competition was the culmination of a winter’s worth of hard work to build a 5-foot robot in just six weeks – work that earned them the trip south to Georgia.

FIRST© (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a multinational nonprofit organization that aspires to transform culture to make science, math, engineering, and technology as cool for young people as sports are today. FIRST© was founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway Human Transporter.

The weekend FIRST© tournament in late April was filled with excitement. A variety of decorations and free gifts were passed among the participating teams. Students treated each other like family, in part because they all accomplished a great task – they solved a huge problem with limited funds, time, and sleep. Many students made lifelong friends with students from both the United States and abroad. Almost every state was represented at the championship, and some teams traveled from as far away as Brazil, Canada, and Israel.

“With over 400 teams present, this was an experience that I will never forget,” said Woodlawn student Chayla F.

The Atlanta competition was familiar territory for Woodlawn’s Technowarriors. Whether they are in restaurants or answering tough questions from judges, they are often praised for their quick wit and friendliness. In addition, they have been labeled as exemplifying true “gracious professionalism” and are eager to assist anyone who needs help, including their opponents.

The Woodlawn robotics team creation, shown here, was named “Triple Threat.”

During the 2006 Chesapeake Regional in March, the Technowarriors helped an opponent increase effectiveness by spending more than four hours adjusting the other team’s electrical board and creating a device that would help their rivals score points.

The team was so generous with its time and skills that team members were awarded the 2006 Johnson & Johnson Sportsmanship award at the regional competition because they assisted many teams who needed technical help.

In the Atlanta competition meanwhile, the Technowarriors crushed an opposing team by winning 76 to 0. While competing, they showed their keen ability to play both offensive and defensive positions with their robot, and they easily prevented their opponents from scoring by strategically blocking key positions. In the end, the Technowarriors won three matches and lost four. Despite the outcome, however, the experience proved worthwhile for students. “I am truly grateful for this opportunity,” said senior Walter C. Added sophomore Philo G., “This has been a dream come true.”

The team won’t take much time off this summer, either. Many team members are excited about the upcoming summer events, where their team has been asked to share their accomplishments. Team members also planned to conduct a robotics summer camp with middle school students.

“We have a great team,” said team advisor Teresa Harper. “They have become unified, and I am extremely proud of our accomplishments.”

Story by Teresa Harper, science teacher and team advisor, Woodlawn High School. Photos courtesy of Woodlawn High School.