West Bloomfield Robotics Team Named Top Rookie Team in the Region

After only one competition under their belt, the West Bloomfield robotics team has already made quite the impression on their competition.

The team from West Bloomfield High School has been named the top rookie team in the region for 2012-13 after placing 16th out of 40 teams at the Waterford-Mott Robotics compeitition on March 8-9.

Dubbed the "Metal Mechanics," West Bloomfield now heads to their second competition today and tomorrow in Troy.

"We intend to compete fiercely, open-mindedly and respectfully and we hope to mantain our title as the highest-ranked rookie during the Troy Competition at Troy Athens High School," said Bud Muylaert, West Bloomfield teacher and coach for the Metal Mechanics. 

"It would be an honor for us to have everyone watch the Metal Mechanics reach to the top of the score table yet again, as young, intuitive engineers," he added.

Known as the "varsity sport for the mind," FIRST robotics competitions involve teams of 25 students who must raise funds, design a team brand and build and program robots to perform a prescribed set of tasks. During competitions, their robots are pitted directly against creations from high schools across Metro Detroit.

Also at the Waterford competition, the Metal Mechanics were awarded the Excellent Safety and Performance award on top of their Highest Rookie Seed award. The team, which is partially sponsored by JC Penney, won seven of their matches and lost five. 

Competing against West Bloomfield this weekend will be robotics teams from Pontiac, Milford, Rochester Hills, Troy, Royal Oak, Birmingham and Detroit.

The competition begins at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Troy Athens High School, with matches happening between 11 a.m.-7 p.m. On Saturday, matches begin at 9:30 a.m. and elimination rounds end at 5 p.m.