Automatons compete in Escanaba

Members of the Automatons stand with their robot, for which the team received the Autonomous Award at the Escanaba District Event in Escanaba. Pictured are, (standing) Evan Thibodeau, Ray Guzowski, Jeff Davis, Van Hill, Bri Porier and Brennon Gursky; (kneeling) Cooper Hill. (Submitted photo.)

ESCANABA – Iron County’s robotics team, the Automatons, competed at the Escanaba District Event in robotics on March 8–9. 
The team went 9-3 in the qualifying matches, ultimately ranking No. 8 of 38 teams. The Automatons became part of the No. 4 alliance with other teams: the Mason Tractor Technicians and the Bark River Bronconaughts. The team went 1-2 in the playoff, finishing with a 10-5 record. 

Coach Van Hill said the highlight of the weekend for the team was taking home the Autonomous Award. This award is evaluated based on a robot’s ability to assess and position itself within the environment and execute tasks appropriately. It celebrates the team with the most consistent, high-performance autonomously-operated robot.

“Our robot ran really well all weekend,” Hill said. “The team is now busy making some upgrades for our next competition.”

This competition will be held at Central Michigan University March 28–30.