Pontiac High Wins Oakland Robotics Event

OCCRA, an association of 20 Oakland County high school robotics teams, hosted its second competition of the season on Thursday, Oct. 29 at Birmingham Seaholm High School.

Teams from Birmingham Groves, Birmingham Seaholm, Bloomfield Hills International Academy, Brother Rice and Marian High Schools, Catholic Central, North Farmington, Holly, Lamphere, Notre Dame Prep, Oakland Schools Technical Campus Northeast, Oakland Schools Technical Campus Southeast, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep, Pontiac, Rochester Adams, Roeper School, Royal Oak, South Lyon Schools, Walled Lake Northern, Waterford Kettering, and West Bloomfield competed.

First place was awarded to Team 51 of Pontiac High School, second place to Team 9 of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep, and third place to Team 3098 of Waterford Kettering High School.

Additional awards include:

* Beautiful Bot Award – Notre Dame Prep, Team 33
* Spirit of the Competition Award – Oakland Schools Techical Campus Northeast, Team 1
* Technical Excellence Award – Oakland Schools Technical Campus Nrotheast, Team 1
* Strategic Design Award – Walled Lake Northern High School, Team 802
* Quality Award – Rochester Adams High School, Team 245
* Judge’s Award – North Farmington, Team 17
* Judge’s Award – Brother Rich and Marian High School, Team 573
* Vex Award – Catholic Central High School, Team 203

All OCCRA tournaments are free and open to the public.
Remaining competition dates and sites this year include:

* Saturday, Nov. 7, Diversity Showcase Tournament, Royal Oak High School; 9 a.m.
* Thursday, Nov. 12, Waterford Tournament – Waterford Kettering High School, 6 p.m.
* Saturday, Nov. 21, County Championship, Holly High School, 9 a.m.

OCCRA features a full contact robotics competition, where students control their 120 pound creations as they clash on the court of play. The robots will try to score points by placing balls into basketball hoops while their opponents try to stop them. OCCRA robots play rough and some damage will surely occur but, unlike “Battlebots,” the rules prohibit teams from intentionally damaging another machine.

Competitive robotics generates enthusiasm for technical and academic disciplines such as design, engineering, physics, and electronics. The high-energy OCCRA competitions provide recognition and encouragement for students who are devoting their time and energy to this academic activity. Furthermore, OCCRA participants have the opportunity to learn more about the diverse technical career options available in our county and state.

OCCRA is administered by Oakland Schools and supported by the Oakland Schools Education Foundation (OSEF). This assistance is made possible through the generosity and support of area businesses and individuals. Current corporate sponsors include: DTE Energy Foundation, Chrysler, Delphi Automotive Systems, Denso International America, Inc., General Motors Powertrain, and SMC Pneumatics.

For more information on OCCRA, please contact Terri Kroll, OCCRA Coordinator, Oakland Schools at 248.209.2432. You can also get more information on OCCRA by visiting the OCCRA website at http://www.oakland.k12.mi.us/Default.aspx?tabid=535. For more information on OSEF, contact Sherry Kuchon, Fund Development, Oakland Schools at (248) 209-2567.