Hanalani Schools will host the annual Regional Botball Tournament this Saturday in its Student Activity Center.<\/p>\n
The Botball Educational Robotics Program engages middle and high school students in team-oriented robotics competition. Students have nine to 12 weeks to design, create and program two autonomous robots using standardized components provided to them in the Botball game kit.<\/p>\n
Hanalani has been regional champion the last four years, and Chenfu Chiang, STEM Academy head and robotics coach at Hanalani Schools, believes they have a good chance for a fifth consecutive title.<\/p>\n
“We are very excited for this new school year,” he said. “We have high expectations again. Our goal is to ‘five-peat’ the Hawaii regional championship and also try to win our third International Botball championship.<\/p>\n
“We have a great robotics program at Hanalani, and many of our robotics students receive scholarships in STEM-related fields.”<\/p>\n
Botball robots are autonomous units that respond to information from a program written by the students as well as information from onboard sensors that detect changes in light, distance, color and other parameters.<\/p>\n
Registration and open practice begin at 8 a.m., and seeding rounds begin at 10. Admission is free and open to the public.<\/p>\n