Final for robot teens

A PORTISHEAD design and technology team beat off stiff competition from across the UK and Europe to make the finals of the 2013 Robotic Challenge.

Gordano Robotics Team 2013 Matthew March, Tom Southey, Ben Hunter-Craig and Simon Julyan with DT Technician Richard Moore. - Credit: Archant

Four year 13 Gordano School students, with the help of technician Richard Moore, used their design and technical skills to create their robot, Thunder Puppet.

Gordano Robotics Team 2013 Matthew March, Tom Southey, Ben Hunter-Craig and Simon Julyan with DT Technician Richard Moore. - Credit: Archant

Competing against other robots in an 8m x 8m arena, Thunder Puppet had to win points by using tokens to claim grid squares. The robots were not radio controlled and had to be completely autonomous.

Mr Moore said: “The Portishead team, Matthew March, Ben Hunter-Craig, Simon Julyan and Tom Southey, worked extremely hard to ensure the robot stood a chance of advancing through the two-day competition.”

Thunder Puppet performed consistently and a determined effort from everybody saw Gordano through to the quarter finals before it was beaten and Thunder Puppet’s crusade was over.

Mr Moore added: “A team from Munich in Germany came first but congratulations must go to the Portishead team for holding it together for the weekend, which was extremely intense and demanding. The students exceeded all expectations for a team’s first attempt at the competition.”