{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"The News Journal","provider_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net","title":"'Kentucky Wildbots' amping up for 2017 First Robotics competition &ndash; The News Journal","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"RgGogqaP6g\"><a href=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/kentucky-wildbots-amping-2017-first-robotics-competition\/\">&#8216;Kentucky Wildbots&#8217; amping up for 2017 First Robotics competition<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/kentucky-wildbots-amping-2017-first-robotics-competition\/embed\/#?secret=RgGogqaP6g\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;&#8216;Kentucky Wildbots&#8217; amping up for 2017 First Robotics competition&#8221; &#8212; The News Journal\" data-secret=\"RgGogqaP6g\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Wildbots-for-web.jpg","thumbnail_width":400,"thumbnail_height":266,"description":"The Kentucky Wildbots are gearing up for another run in the FIRST Robotics Competition with hopes of making it to the world competition in St. Louis, Missouri. The challenge this year is to build a robot that can climb, haul and shoot softball sized whiffle balls, and transport gears. The game called \u201cSteamworks\u201d calls for teams of three robots to load the fuel in the form of whiffle balls into the boiler to build up the pressure high enough to power the team\u2019s airship. Additional gears are needed to complete the chains to spin all four of the rotors on the airship. Teams receive additional points for each rotor they are able to have spinning by the end of the match. Finally, toward the end of the match, ropes will be lowered from each airship to permit the team\u2019s robots to climb aboard. The team scores even more points for each robot that successfully makes the climb. \u201cThis is the most ambitious robot I have been involved with,\u201d said Lynn Camp High School teacher Roger Riquelme, who is coaching the team. \u201cWe are trying to do everything.\u201d Riquelme, who took over the program when teacher Arthur Canada retired, said while his team of students are relatively young, they are a hardworking bunch. \u201cThey don\u2019t throw in the towel,\u201d Riquelme said. Junior Sebastian Weddle is in his third official year on the team. Weddle is part of the group of students tasked with designing and assembling the gearbox that will drive the robot and allow it to climb the rope. \u201cIt has been a real inspiration,\u201d said Weddle of his time on the team adding that it has reinforced his desire to become amechanical electrical engineer. Weddle said the design has been a challenge not only because of the multiple required tasks, but also because of the small amount of space allocated. The Wildbots will be wrapping up their official build time on the competition robot this week. After that, the robot will be packed away until the regional competition March 22-25 at Thompson Bowling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. The team will have a practice robot that it will continue to work with in the interim to allow the drivers to use and to finish any remaining pieces needed for the competition bot. The top three robots, plus one wildcard earn the right to go on to the First Robotics World Competition in St. Louis, Missouri. A demonstration of this year\u2019s competition may be viewed online at https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=EMiNmJW7enI"}