ZUMBROTA - The Zumbrota Mazeppa robotics team, ZooM Robotics 7273, participated in the Minnesota First Inspire North Star Regional competition at the University of Minnesota, held April 2-4. At this competition, the team participated in a challenge that required the robot to shoot dodgeball sized balls into a basket-type structure in the arena. During each round, six robots participated, three against three. Each grouping of three is called an alliance. The alliances are chosen at random meaning each round they are made of different teams. This unique structure of the competition leads to incredible teamwork between all the teams present because they never know who they will be paired with next.
ZooM Robotics 7273 had ten qualifying matches in total and at the end held a 5-5 record. Out of the 47 teams present, they placed 23rd and served as a backup robot during the final matches in the event in which one of the competing robots broke down. The FIRST INSPIRE program which puts on the competition and runs the entire robotics program is a global network. This means there are teams from all over the world. At the North Star Regional there were teams from several different states and countries including Alaska, Illinois, Minnesota, China, Japan, and the Czech Republic.
While at the competition the team received a grant for $3000 from the Gene Haas Foundation to be used towards registration and supplies for the coming year.
ZooM Robotics 7273 was able to attend this competition thanks to help from the Zumbrota Community Trust, as well as some of our larger sponsors, BTD, People's Power Electric, and the Gene Haas Foundation.
