Meet the local innovators of the future; Jonah Anderson, Jacob Lukkarila, Aidan Persons, Frankie Persons, Ben Roghair and Emily Roghair. With their coaches, Ken and Sue Persons, they comprise the Squidbots Robotic Team.

 

The Squidbots are part of the expanding network of extracurricular organizations designed to encourage young people to become interested in science and technology by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that cultivate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics skills in a way that inspires leadership and innovation.

 

Called ‘the hardest fun you’ll ever have,’ FIRST Tech Challenge teams are challenged to design, build, program and operate robots to play a floor game in an alliance format. The theme for this year’s game was FIRST RES-Q, a game modeled after rescue situations faced by mountain explorers around the world. The game is played by two Alliances with two robots each, with the robots scoring points by achieving rescue goals and removing debris from the playing field. 

 

The Squidbots’ journey began last summer with fundraising and obtaining sponsors. The boys on the team had participated in the FIRST LEGO League in the past, but were ready to move up. They purchased a Tetrix kit which included motors, modules and metal pieces similar to an erector set to get a feel for what they could build, and from there started designing robot ideas they could use in tournaments. They named their finished robot Lula, the Portuguese word for squid.

 

They participated in their first tournament at North Branch in December and finished in last place. Undaunted, they knew they needed a better build so they began redesigning and making more of their own parts. At their second tournament at Columbia Heights January 9 they did a little better; second to last place. 

 

However FIRST Tech Challenge is more than a robotic competition; in addition to robot matches, teams are also able to win awards by exhibiting values such as creativity, teamwork and what FIRST calls ‘Gracious Professionalism.’ The judges were so impressed with the Squidbots’ teamwork, professionalism and engineering notebook they received second runner-up to the Inspire Award, which was enough to qualify them for the Minnesota State Championship. 

 

There were some glitches. Because of the way they placed in the first tournament they didn’t believe they would make it to the state competition, so Coaches Ken and Sue Persons had planned a weeklong vacation in Florida with their children, Aidan and Frankie. With only a month until state, the remaining four members of the team continued meeting and working on Lula while they were gone. 

 

“Everyone on the team put in a lot of hours,” said Sue, “They took the initiative to get the job done, even when the coaches weren’t available.“

 

“For the entire month before state, the team put in 25 to 30 hours a week,” added Frankie.

 

In the first round at state competition the Squidbots did well, winning three out of fivematches. Although it wasn’t enough to advance them to the next round, they kept hearing that for a rookie team to make it to state and do so well was pretty incredible.

 

“It was a great experience,” said Aidan, who was head builder for the team. “We learned how to work better as a team using ‘cooperatition,’ a FIRST word which stands for teams learning from one another and cooperating even with their competitors.”

 

Ben, the team’s head programmer, said, “I definitely think there are a lot of skills you learn. Aidan and I even taught ourselves JavaScript.”

 

An important part of the FIRST Tech Challenge is for students to develop real world skills, from fundraising and marketing to problem-solving and community outreach. 

 

“Robotics is a lot like running a mini business,” said Emily. “If you’re interested, go for it. You won’t regret it.”

 

The Squidbots have a lot of people to thank for helping them succeed in their journey. The Becker High School Robotics teams who invited them to participate in the Becker Business Expo in January, their coaches and their sponsors, EJ Ajax, G & R Custom Elevator Cabs, Great River Energy, Becker Veterinary Clinic, Hoglund Bus and Truck, Canine Cabin, Scheideman Chiropractic, Beverage Line Service, Jan’s Christmas Trees and ePromos. 

 

Dean Kamen, the inventor of the Segway, founded FIRST, an acronym for “For Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology,” in 1989. His goal was to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology while building self-confidence, knowledge and life skills, and to see engineers and inventors celebrated the same way athletes are.