Spotlight: Robotics Club

by Brian Khau

For those who are interested in creating programs, building robots, or just engineering in a team should consider Milpitas Xtreme Robotics. Milpitas Xtreme Robotics, also known as Robotics Club, participates in various robotics competitions throughout California, Coach Charles Schletzbaum said. Scheltzbaum is one of two coaches for the Robotics Club.

The club has started since the 2003-2004 school year, and has existed since, according to Scheltzbaum. While building a robot may seem relatively simple, it is no small feat, and not to be done in one day, Coach Nate Dixon said.

“Robotics is extremely team-oriented, requiring analytical thinking skills to create a robot,” according to Dixon. Some students know how to program, others are handy with power tools, and others can just build, Dixon explained.

As of the 2010-2011 school year the club has participated in two major competitions this year. The first was the Menlo First Tech Competition (FTC) Qualifier on November 20th, 2010, where approximately 35 schools participated in, Treasurer Ryan Nguyen said. Nguyen is currently a junior at MHS.

“For the qualifiers, MHS placed first with Jefferson Tech, it was a really good robot and team that we had,” Dixon said. Placing first automatically qualified them for the national qualifiers, which took place on January 9th, 2011. Unfortunately, MHS did not do well enough to qualify for the next level of competitions.

Currently, the club is preparing for the First Robotic Competition (FRC) which will occur in the near future and will include about 30 schools, President Michael Lau said. Lau is a senior at MHS. In the meantime, the club is building a go-cart for fun, according to Lau.

Robotics Club is always open to students who would like to participate. “For those who are interested, come to room K-5 on Fridays by 3:00,” Dixon said.