Community Corner

Dexter Robotics Club Places 17th in U.S. First Robotics Competition

The team is currently recruiting new members for the 2012 school year.

By Dan Edwards

Dexter High School Squall

junior Phil Lauseng had always been intrigued by the idea of working with his hands and creating things out of his imagination. So when he heard about the robotics club, he immediately gained an interest in joining.

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“I hadn’t done many extracurricular activities besides band, and I like using my hands a lot,” Lauseng explained. “So the robotics club seemed like a good idea.”

Club members spend their time after school working and tinkering with parts and gears to put in the robots that they build.

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“We meet at someone's house after school, where we brainstorm ideas and visions for our robots and then put them into motion,” freshman Parker Stebbins said. “It’s really fun."

The robotics club also participates in competitions across the state. Students in the club joined schools across Southeast Michigan in the U.S. First Robotics Competition at Gull Lake High School in Richland on March 2.

At the competition, the students presented their robots to the judges and showed them how well their bots could run. The robots had to meander across a small court, cross over balance beams and pick up a small ball and shoot it into the net.

The Dreadbot placed 17th in the state out of 100 schools.

“I think we did really well,” Lauseng said. “We had a lot of fun.”

The students in the club are seeking new members who have an interest in hands-on building and engineering activities.

“I highly suggest people join, it’s a lot of fun,” Stebbins said.

Editor's note: This article was originally published in the Dexter Squall. Articles published in the Squall are included on Patch.com weekly as part of a cooperative study program. Read more Squall stories online.




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