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Robot Team
Putnam Science Academy's robot team, left to right: Mustafa Ak, grade 11; Ensar Tastan, grade 10; Muhammed Boydak, grade 10; Ebubekir Yasa, grade 11; Berkan Tuylu, grade 10; Omer Seven, grade 11; Tarik Kose, grade 10; Omer Atas, grade 10; Almas Myrzatay, grade 10; Serik Tukupov, grade 11; Yusuf Yilmaz, grade 10; Kerem On, grade 10; Halit Sezgin, grade 11; Erkan Cabuk, Robotics Coach Emrullah Durmaz, Putnam Science Academy Principal.
PUTNAM — After winning a slew of awards at a recent robotics competition, the Putnam Science Academy robotics team, the Robo Mustangs #4554, says it’s just getting started.
“We’re bringing robotics to Putnam and the surrounding areas,” said Omer Seven, a junior at Putnam Science Academy and the team’s Captain. “We will go teach kids nearby how to build robots and how to start a team. It’s part of the team’s Big Plan.”
Judging by the Robo Mustangs’ performance at the Northern New York Championship put on earlier this month at Clarkson University by For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, or FIRST, students who invite the team into their schools will have great teachers. This “Big Plan” just may have a big impact on areas schools and students who don’t currently have access to robotics teams.
Putnam Science Academy is an all-boys private day and boarding school with a rich curriculum focused on science and math. The diverse student body includes boys from more than 10 countries and local students. The robotics team is one of about 20 extracurricular activities available to students at Putnam Science Academy, and it is perhaps one of the most demanding.
There is no doubt that their success makes them qualified to have such big ideas. The Robo Mustangs placed seventh overall and won a first place Alliance Award, a second place Inspire Award and a Connect Award. The one-day competition attracted high school robotics teams from across the Northeast.
The Robo Mustang’s alliance was with another team called Say Watt #3539. Only the top four of the 24 competing teams advance to the final round. But each of those four teams must choose another team with which to work. Say Watt chose the Robo Mustangs and won competition.
Now, the Robo Mustangs have a chance to compete for a national championship next year in St. Louis.
The Inspire Award “requires a team to be excellent and inspire other teams to have good relationships, to be gracious professionally in the competition and outside,” said Seven.
“At the next competition, we hope to get the first place Inspire Award,” said Serik Tukupov, a 17-year-old Junior and the team’s programming Co-Captain.
The Connect Award is presented to the team that shows the greatest connection to its local engineering community and its local area overall. “It shows that the robotics team has a future in its local area,” Seven said.
It certainly does.
Putnam Science Academy Principal Emrullah Durmaz is enthusiastic not only about the team’s success in competition, but its maturity and eagerness to engage the community at large.
“I am very, very proud. When I say my school name, they are famous. They have a lot of respect,” he said.
Recently, after hearing the team during an interview on WINY radio, a woman who heard the interview stopped team members on the street and donated $300. The team would like to raise $4,000 to support itself as it develops its robots and competes around the country.
Already, the Academy’s team has caught the attention of local businesses and schools. The team is supported in part by RPC Associates and WINY radio and has forged a relationship with Pallflex Products Co. in Putnam.
It has also begun training a prospective robotics team at Killingly High School.
The students who comprise the Robo Mustangs team spent about 250 hours, including one all-night session, designing, developing, programming and building its robot.
For competition, the robot can be a maximum size of 18” by 18”. It must operate autonomously for 30 seconds and by radio control for 2 minutes. Picks up balls, puts them in boxes, and stacks the boxes. It might sound simple, but it is not.
“Our major problem was the size of the robot,” said Ebubekir Yasa, a 15-year-old Junior and Designing co-captain. “We had a conveyor belt problem and we had to fix that. This is my second year now, so the new members, I trained them and we didn’t have a designer/mentor so we needed a lot of help. The team made a robot by itself, and I’m really proud of that.”
“Our robot was really good this year,” Tukupov added.