Distancing makes team building a challenge

Late summer is typically the off-season for local robotics teams – a time when the focus is on individual skills practice, attracting new members and fundraising in preparation for upcoming competitions. In a normal summer, CyberGnomes Robotics, a group based in New Lowell would be visible at events like the Great Northern Exhibition, and a showcase at Station on the Green. This year is anything but normal.
Each year, CyberGnomes, Team #2013 builds a robot completely from scratch, then enters competitions where they pit their skills against teams from across the country, with winners advancing to international competition.
Competitions are run by First Robotics, a charity devoted to encouraging youth to pursue education and careers in science and technology. High school students, mentored by industry professionals, work together to design and build robots under strict rules, with limited time and resources. Students are challenged to design a team brand, raise funds, and hone teamwork skills. Along the way they learn and use sophisticated hardware and software.
In this time of social distancing, the team has been relying on virtual meetings to stay connected and offer some skills training. While new members are typically recruited through summer demos, this year’s membership drive will consist of a Facebook posting. Their first actual get together since the pandemic began is scheduled for mid September, but the future of the season is uncertain. Unlike the community based CyberGnomes, most teams are run in schools. It is unclear at this point whether such extra curricular activities will resume in the fall. Competitions are generally hosted in schools, and these may be cancelled given challenges with indoor gatherings of large groups.
Creemore teen Sarah Crawford is a member of CyberGnomes, as well as the Creemore-based CyberGirls. She explains that historically, a new game was released by First Robotics each January outlining the task the robot would be required to complete, and certain compulsory specifications. The team was then given six weeks to build their entry before the actual competitions began. For the 2019 season, the task was to build a robot that could shoot balls into a net. In a prior year, robots raced to stack cubes on a teeter totter.
The 2020 season was shortened by the onset of COVID-19 meaning the CyberGnomes were able to compete in only one of three scheduled events. In 2019, the local team made it to the Provincial finals. Crawford thinks it is possible that the 2021 season will be replaced by on-line skills competitions where students compete with themselves.
Crawford has been involved with CyberGirls since grade 6, and joined CyberGnomes last year. She will enter grade 12 at Our Lady of the Bay Catholic High School in Collingwood this fall. While her involvement with the robotics teams has allowed her to explore the science and technology fields, she has decided to focus on accounting and business as a career path.