Botball team at BEA showcases work

Members of the Milesburg Lions Club visited the Botball team at Bald Eagle Area High School during its early-April work session. They were able to get a sneak peek at the robots the students created and learn a little more about the team’s objective.

This year, BEA Botball has two robots, PeeWee and Bohemith, and have been working since February to prepare for a competition in Virginia.

According to Sharon Nilson, who works in the district’s technology department, Botball is a robotics program that allows students to create robots from Legos and control the robot using specific programs. They are then required to complete tasks in a game.

In this year’s game, “Botguy Directs Disaster Relief Efforts,” a disaster has struck Botguy’s home in the form of a massive storm. Lightning has started numerous structure fires and flooding has left residents of Botopia stranded. High winds and isolated tornadoes have caused damage to structures resulting in widespread power outages and serious natural gas leaks.

There were several missions each Botball team must have completed:
-Work with Botguy and the Mayor of Botopia in the Disaster Relief Zone to ensure that emergency vehicles and personnel are dispatched to fight fires and rescue citizens;
-transport the injured residents to the hospital to receive much needed treatment and uninjured residents should be taken to the Disaster Relief Zone;
-help get firefighters to the buildings that are on fire and douse those buildings with water;
-assist the utility crews by shutting off the natural gas and restore electrical service to the downtown area, and;
-collect and bring water, food and medical supplies to the Disaster Relief Zone and medical complex.