GEM Fowley and Trinity Perry, two talented Year 7 students from Camden Haven High School (CHHS), have broken boundaries in the competitive world of robotics.
The pair secured the silverware in the Open Division of the Hunter Regional RoboCup Championship at Newcastle University on 31 July.
Competing under the alias of ‘Tom and Gerry’, the dynamic duo pitted their technical expertise against the brightest young minds from across the region in the robot soccer competition, securing an emphatic 5-1 victory in the finals of the championships.
In order to compete in the RoboCup Championship, competitors and their robots must adhere to strict guidelines, such as that all robots must possess full autonomy.
In preparation, members of the CHHS Robotics Team joined forces every Thursday and Friday afternoon after school in order to design, build and test their creations under the watchful eye of Mr James Langley, Head Maths Teacher at CHHS.
Reflecting on the triumph, Trinity expressed excitement for the upcoming state championships being held in Sydney, highlighting the collective effort of the team in securing the win.
“We felt really happy and a little crazy when we found out we won,” said Trinity.
“This was our first competition and we didn’t know what to expect.
“But it is a win for the whole team which is pretty cool.”
Echoing this sentiment was Gem, who added, “Going into the finals was a little intimidating as the other team had the biggest robots.
“But in the end our robots got a lot of goals.
“We definitely have a lot of things to do before our next competition but Adam Patrzala, who is one of our main coders, is working on the robots everyday and making adjustments so our robots become more efficient.
“Big thanks to him.”
Mr Langley, the visionary behind robotics at CHHS, spoke proudly of the program’s history and impact on students.
“Fifteen years ago I approached John Saunders from the Laurieton Rotary organisation in regards to sponsoring the school’s robotics program,” said Mr Langley.
“The program has been effective since day one, continuing to attract additional support from entities such as AE Gibson and Sons at Kendall and more recently Alan Taylor and Associates, soon to be renamed Port Macquarie Engineering, based in Laurieton.
“In addition, six former Camden Haven students electing to study engineering and science have received over $60,000 in scholarships from the University of New South Wales (UNSW).”
By Kim AMBROSE
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