Robots are taking over Ball State University Sunday in the third annual Robotics Scrimmage.
Muncie robotics team PhyXTGears, pronounced "fixed gears", holds the event.
"We fix things," team coordinator Cheryl LeBlanc said. "We're in an automotive community that has a gear background and that's what the students chose five years ago."
For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST,) teams from across Indiana come in to compete. This year there are 18.
FIRST is an organization affiliated with NASA that gives teams six weeks to build a robot to play a certain game.
This year it's a soccer-like game called Breakaway in which there are six robots on the field at a time. Different teams make alliances so that it is three robots against three.
The playing field is split into three sections by two large bumps with a tunnel in between them. Each team is given six balls and must fight off the opposing robots while trying to push balls into the goals the while trying to keep their robots from being damaged by an opponent or flipping over when going over one of the bumps.
At the end of the game additional points can be gained by having a robot hang from a tower and another robot hang from the first robot.
Although points are given, the main purpose of the event is to work out any malfunctions the robots may have before they have to be shipped out Tuesday to official competitions.
PhyXTGears' robot is going to the Boilermaker Regional at Purdue University.
LeBlanc helped create the Muncie team five years ago when a similar group her son was involved in was disbanded.
"He and other students of his ilk were very interested in learning hands-on technology so we created the program for students in the county," LeBlanc said.
The team is open to all students eighth grade through high school from all the schools in Delaware County. There are many adult advisers but students do the actual building.
The team currently has 20 members from all over Delaware County.
This year PhyXTGears made a small blue robot 28 inches by 24 inches and 17 inches tall.
The event will be held on the main floor at Ball Gym from 1-5 p.m.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
