Chisago Lakes - North Branch Robotics Team participates in State Fair

The Chisago Lakes-North Branch Robotics Team 3038 participated in a demonstration/competition last week, at the Minnesota State Fair. Each robot participated in tasks ranging from shooting a ball into a basket, to parking and, doing laps on the field. Robots from four schools began the day at 10 a.m. and FIRST Team 3038 was of only two robots able to complete all 3 exhibition events. "It was an opportunity for our team members to show off their robot and a great experience for some of the younger team members to drive the robot since most of the seniors from the team were already heading off to college and not available for the day," commented Mentor Becky Leuer. Team 3038 is also proud to announce that former team member Brian Erickson from Chisago Lakes has just accepted a NASA internship for fall semester at Cape Canaveral, Florida. After applying for a summer internship and not hearing from them, he was very surprised to get a phone call in July offering him the opportunity. As Erickson stated, "I have to believe my participation in FIRST Robotics has something to do with receiving this internship." A junior engineering major at the University of Minnesota, he has been working in the physics lab and will be designing and drawing prototypes for NASA and then building them in the machine shop. Mentor Scott Frischmon commented that "NASA is a huge sponsor of FIRST Robotics and participation on a team opens many doors for students." Anyone interested in joining the robotics team for the 2013 season should contact Becky Leuer at [email protected] .us or pick up information the Activities Office at either high school. The team begins meeting in the fall and the season officially kicks off the first Saturday in January. High school girls and boys interested in expanding their world by learning about programming, animation, website design, drawing and mechanical design are always welcome. Team 3038 is funded through a grant from St. Jude Medical Foundation.