By Lora Oehlberg

Town Crier Editorial Intern

The generation that played with Transformers has grown up to become the Los Altos High School Robotics team, now building and driving their own robots. Those skills were in full evidence at Saturday’s second annual California Robot Games at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose.

The Western Region Robotics Forum, a non-profit group consisting of high school FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics teams from across the West Coast, sponsors the Robot Games. At their monthly meetings, WRRF sets up an information network for West Coast teams to ask and answer questions, organizes workshops open to all Bay Area high school teams, and recruits and mentors new schools to start and build robotics programs.

“It got started because many teams recognized that they had similar problems, obstacles and issues which they faced each year,” said Jason Morrella, the regional West Coast director for the FIRST robotics competition. “The teams decided they could all be more successful and learn more working together than they ever could working completely alone. The teams formed the group so they could share information and provide assistance to other teams when they are in need.”

In robotics competitions, teams have a two-minute limit to their games. To test teams’ abilities under timed situations, the robot games also held skill events such as the Driver Challenge, where each team drives their robot through an obstacle course. The team whose robot can pull a wheeled platform carrying its driver up and down the field in the fastest time wins the Power Pull award.

Through the robot games and other WRRF Forums, West Coast teams can pool their knowledge and experience to benefit their own team and to promote robotics in general.

“Many schools attended who don’t even have a robot. They observed what other schools have built, how the competition works, how teams interact - and they will be able to ask questions, get answers, and get advice from veteran teams to make their ‘rookie’ year a little easier.”

The Los Altos robotics team placed 14th at the FIRST National Competition in Florida last year, making them a valuable resource for other robotics teams new to the FIRST program.

“We have a lot of experience because we did really well at nationals last year. Though we lost some really good people, we know how to get the project working,” said Paul Ivanov, captain of the Los Altos High School Robotics team. “We know how to participate in competition effectively and have fun while doing it.”

At Saturday’s competition, the team placed 15th,warming up its own new members for future FIRST competitions. “It’s a fun thing, not just a die-hard competition,” said Ivanov.

Although robotics competitions do involve winning and awards, the process of making the robot and negotiating with other teams makes competition enjoyable.

“With robotics, I learn how to build stuff and use tools, and I also learn how to work with people to produce something that has a purpose,” said veteran Los Altos Robotics team member Julia Zaks.