Mercy High School Establishes Robotics Team

Mercy High School has established its first Robotics Team, the Tech Tigers.  Sponsored by JC Penney, with additional funding contributed by United Technologies Corporation, the Tech Tigers are participating in FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a not-for-profit organization founded by Dean Kamen to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology by engaging them in innovative robotics competition.

Mercy Robotics Team members Alicia Kennedy, Celine Coleman and Victoria Scott work with team mentor Peter Kieselbach.

The Tech Tigers are spending six intense weeks designing and building an original robot for the FIRST Regional Competition scheduled for March 31, 2011 in Hartford.  The team consists of eighteen Mercy students, supported by faculty, alumnae and local community mentors.

The Tech Tigers received this year’s challenge, LOGO MOTION, and a kit of parts made up of motors, batteries, a control system, a personal computer, and a mix of automation components – but no instructions.  Working with professional engineering mentors, the team has six weeks to build a robot that can maneuver an outdoor obstacle course.  The competition measures the effectiveness of each team’s robot and the students’ ability to collaborate effectively.

According to Mercy faculty moderator Buff Bachenheimer, “Tech Tigers is a real Mercy community effort.  We have adult mentors working alongside the students daily to help them with this incredible challenge.  The FIRST program helps students learn about technology, but it also teaches them self-confidence, communication and leadership.”