Have you ever wanted to build a robot and then program it to do something?

The Lincoln County 4-H Robotics group was organized in 2016 to provide an opportunity for youth to discover the world of robotics by building and programming robots.  4-H Leaders, Peter Schuetze and Chad Lashua, are holding Robotics SPIN Club meetings twice a month, on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month.  They also participate in statewide competitions!

All meetings will be held at the Lincoln County Service Center at 801 North Sales Street in Merrill in Lower Level Conference Room 156.  Meetings begin at 6 p.m. and normally last about 2 hours.

So if you love a challenge…please come join this group.  Other adult leaders are encouraged and welcome to attend.

If you have any questions regarding the 4-H Robotics Group, please contact the Lincoln County Robotics group at:  4hroboticslincolncounty@gmail.com

You will also find additional information about the 4-H Robotics projects on the Wisconsin 4-H Robotics page.  Information found here includes a listing of 4-H literature for each project, statewide events, and additional resources.

Robotics Competition, 2019

(Chad Lashua) The Lincoln County 4-H Robotics group traveled to Oak Creek, Wisconsin (near Milwaukee) to compete in a Lego League Robotics competition. Out of 40 registered teams, they placed in the top 20. This is a great accomplishment considering this group of middle school students only met once a month for most of the season and went against school teams that met daily or weekly at the very least.

Our team of 8 students is made up of both boys and girls from all over Lincoln County. The programming competition provided a list of challenges and the team voted on which ones to take up. There were no instructions showing how to perform a task, only how many points would be awarded upon successful completion. Each team had three 2 1/2-minute rounds to score as many points as possible.

There is more to the competition than programming. The entire team also had to go before a group of three judges to introduce their teammates and demonstrate how each contributed to the team. They really excelled here!  In addition, they needed to explain why they chose the design of the robot and any attachments they were using. This allowed the judges to see the creativity and innovation that went into this project prior to competing.

Lastly, the group also had to research a problem or need in their community and put together a proposal on how to solve it. They then performed a skit, explaining the challenges and how it affects them. These life skills will stay with them forever! Being able to speak in front of judges without the help of parents or coaches provided the team an opportunity to practice communication that will be greatly needed as they move towards adulthood.

At the end of the competition everyone assembled to announce the winners. Besides recognizing those teams that scored well, Lego League also acknowledged teams that excelled in its core values. I am elated to tell you that our very own 4-H team won one of the Core Value Awards! All of the students were high fived by every judge, referee, and volunteer as they made their way to receive their award. They took home the “Innovation” award for the most innovative robot of the entire competition!

Thanks to all the parents and leaders of the Robotics group for all of your time, energy, patience, and support of the project. Without these people, the Robotics team would not be the success that it is. Parent involvement is so critical in the development and success of our youth. These parents embodied all of that and them some, I am truly blessed and grateful to have such wonderful people helping.