Become participant of robotics contest or robotics competition is fun. You will get many experience, meet many people who interest in robotics technology. Sometimes, you will get some money.. 
Today, i read a news from freep.com about FIRST Robotics Competition result in detroit city. I was happy that many students interested in robotics technology.
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Three Detroit Cody High School students were part of a winning team last weekend at Wayne State University.
A three-team alliance — Cody, Utica Community Schools and Bloomfield Hills International Academy — won the FIRST Robotics Detroit regional.
Last month, Utica won a FIRST regional in St. Louis (FIRST is For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). And throughout the school year, the Utica students have been working with Cody’s Team 440.
The three members of Team 440 traveled for months to the Ford Sterling Heights plant, where the Utica Thunder Chickens worked on their robot.
“The Utica team has been fairly successful, and we have a large team,” said Ed Debler, a Utica High School teacher who works with the school’s robotics team. “We are kind of isolated, and we wanted to work more with other teams.”
For Cody High, the partnership means connecting with other students as well as learning more about robotics from a successful team.
“The two groups meet, and it’s urban and suburban together. It is diversity,” said Alvin Carroll, a Cody High teacher and instructor of the robotics team. “My students get to see new things. They had no idea how to work as a team, and they are learning how to build something together.”
“We started learning about robotics because of our teacher,” said Destiné Clark, 17, of Carroll.
Clark is an 11th-grader from Detroit; her Cody teammates are juniors Jesse Jones, 16, and Merlin Milton, 17.
Though Jones and Milton joined the team at the beginning of the school year, Clark has been on the team for two years.
“I stayed with it because I like meeting people in the engineering field,” she said. “I like the hands-on approach.”
The Cody team faces challenges, such as a small number of students and low funding for the project.
As a result of the mentoring program with the Utica High robotics team, Carroll hopes Cody’s funding will increase and that more students and teachers will become aware of the program.
“Many people didn’t see the importance of having a robotics team, but hopefully, they will see the impact it has on kids,” Carroll said. “We have spread the word to the district.
“There are only four teams in Detroit. I’m hoping we can work together and collaborate on making this a bigger thing.”
One of the ways students on the Cody and Utica high school teams learn more about robotics and engineering is through mentors from Ford Motor Co., which is one of the many sponsors of FIRST Robotics.
“I like seeing students accomplish something they had no idea they were capable of doing,” said Ken Snodgrass, a retired Ford engineer who has mentored for 10 years and lives in Farmington Hills. “I like to say it’s the toughest fun I’ll ever have.”
Marvin Kraska, a Ford technical specialist who works with students at Cody, enjoys hearing feedback from students who say being on the robotics team makes a difference in their lives.
“This program teaches them project management and how to brainstorm ideas,” said Kraska, who lives in Dearborn. “This program teaches students life lessons.”
Many of the students who participate said they joined robotics because they needed something to do, but it quickly turned into a fun activity that allowed them to meet new friends.
For 17-year-old Irene Zhu, being on the Utica team has taught her a lot.
“I never expected it to be so interesting. First off, you say robotics and think, ‘Who does that?’ But it’s cool,” said Zhu, a Stevenson High 12th-grader who lives in Sterling Heights. “I liked that everyone made me feel welcome.”
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