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Secret City Wildbots alliance wins Smoky Mountains Regionals robotics tournament

Posted at 7:12 pm April 1, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Secret City Wildbots, Team 4265, won the Smoky Mountains Regionals robotics tournament on Saturday, March 30, 2019, as captains of the fourth-seeded alliance, along with alliance partners 2614 Mars of Morgantown, W.V., and 2556 RadioActive Roaches of Niceville, Fla. The win secures a place in the World Championship at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, from April 17-20. (Photo by Angi Agle)

The Secret City Wildbots, Team 4265, won the Smoky Mountains Regionals robotics tournament on Saturday, March 30, 2019, as captains of the fourth-seeded alliance, along with alliance partners 2614 Mars of Morgantown, W.V., and 2556 RadioActive Roaches of Niceville, Fla. The win secures a place in the World Championship at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, from April 17-20. (Photo by Angi Agle)

 

Photos, video, and information submitted by Angi Agle

The Secret City Wildbots, Team 4265, won the Smoky Mountains Regionals robotics tournament on Saturday as captains of the fourth-seeded alliance. Their alliance partners were 2614 Mars of Morgantown, West Virginia, and 2556 RadioActive Roaches of Niceville, Florida.

The win secures a place in the World Championship at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, from April 17-20.

The Wildbots’ alliance remained undefeated until the second match of the finals, racking up two matches with the event high score of 95 in the elimination rounds. The tiebreaker match was won 90-83. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Education, Front Page News, K-12, Science, Slider Tagged With: 2556 RadioActive Roaches, 2614 Mars, Angi Agle, Blake Norris, Dean’s List Finalist Award, Innovation in Control Award, Mack Patrick, Mark Buckner, Patience Sims, RadioActive Roaches, robotics, Secret City Wildbots, Smoky Mountains Regionals, Team 4265

Secret City Festival is this weekend

Posted at 10:22 am June 7, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Although numbers weren't immediately available, organizers said a record-setting crowd attended the Three Dog Night concert at the Secret City Festival on Saturday. (Photo by Jon Hetrick)

A record-setting crowd is pictured above at the Three Dog Night concert at the Secret City Festival in June 2015. (File photo courtesy Jon Hetrick)

 

The Secret City Festival on Friday and Saturday will feature music, food, children’s activities, historic exhibits, arts and crafts, technology, robotics, magic, a juggler, a K-9 search demonstration, wine tasting, tours of two federal sites, veterans parade, an attempt to set a world record in a basketball game, and headline concerts featuring Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx, and Little River Band.

There have been pre-festival events this week, including a Battle of the Bands tonight (Thursday, June 7), and a live radio broadcast featuring two bands on Monday, and a Children’s Movie Night on Wednesday.

At the Secret City Festival this weekend, a main stage concert on Friday night will feature Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx. The opening band is The Band Legacy. The show starts at 7 p.m.

The main stage concert on Saturday night will feature the Little River Band. The opening band is Janelle Arthur. The show starts at 7 p.m.

Tickets are available online or at Citizens First Bank at 1298 Oak Ridge Turnpike for $25. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, Community, Community, Entertainment, Food, Front Page News, Movies, Music, Slider Tagged With: arts and crafts, basketball, children's activities, Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx, FIRST Robotics Secret City Invitational, food, Guinness Book of World Records attempt, historic exhibits, K-9 search demonstration, knockout basketball, Little River Band, magic, music, Oak Ridge National Laboratory tours, robotics, Secret City Festival, technology, Tennessee Creates Juried Arts and Crafts Show, tours, Veterans Parade, wine tasting, world record, Y-12 National Security Complex public tours

JMS robotics team headed to world competition

Posted at 12:36 pm April 16, 2018
By Holly Cross Leave a Comment

Three robotics teams from Jefferson Middle School competed in the FIRST Lego League East Tennessee State Championship at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville on February 10. The Atomic Eagles qualified to represent Jefferson Middle School and Tennessee at the FIRST LEGO World Championships in Houston this month. (Submitted photo)

Three robotics teams from Jefferson Middle School competed in the FIRST Lego League East Tennessee State Championship at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville on February 10. The Atomic Eagles qualified to represent Jefferson Middle School and Tennessee at the FIRST LEGO World Championships in Houston this month. (Submitted photo)

 

Three robotics teams from Jefferson Middle School competed in the FIRST Lego League East Tennessee State Championship at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville on February 10. The Atomic Eagles qualified to represent Jefferson Middle School and Tennessee at the FIRST LEGO World Championships in Houston this month.

To compete in the state championship, teams must first qualify at either the Knoxville, Nashville, Tullahoma, Bristol, or Johnson City competitions. The Atomic Eagles, JMS Master Builders, and Radioactive Brix all qualified in Knoxville on December 10, 2017, at Hardin Valley Academy.

At the East Tennessee Championship, the Radioactive Brix (team # 3131), including members Johnny Clark, Abby Ellis, Christopher Gorsuch, Roxanne Farahi, Eden Hatmaker, Wesley Hixson, Henry Landau, and Colby Lawson, finished the robot challenge game with a high score of 135. The team coach is Norma Franco and the team mentor is Justin Lawson. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12, Top Stories Tagged With: Aaliyah Herron, Aaron Fiscor, Abby Ellis, Adam Blanchard, Alex Shanafield, Amelia Thomson, Amelie Nagle, Atomic Eagles, Ben Dallas, Brian Qu, Christopher Gorsuch, Colby Lawson, David Hundermark, Eden Hatmaker, FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Lego League East Tennessee State Championship, FIRST LEGO World Championships, Harold Shanafield, Henry Landau, Jacob Mohr, Janie Shanafield, Jeff Thomson, Jefferson Middle School, Jessica Mohr, JMS Master Builders, Johnny Clark, Justin Lawson, Lexie Scott, Lindsey Fiscor, Marissa Kenworthy, Matthew Alexander, Norma Franco, Radioactive Brix, robotics, Roxanne Farahi, Sadie Thomson, Stella Scott, Sydney Blanchard, Wesley Hixson

Secret City Wildbots competing in Palmetto robotics competition

Posted at 9:21 am March 3, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Secret City Wildbots compete in the Palmetto Regional FIRST Robotics competition on Friday, March 2, 2018. Pictured above, Mantis, the robot, loads a cube for a powerup. (Photo by Angi Agle)

The Secret City Wildbots compete in the Palmetto Regional FIRST Robotics Competition on Friday, March 2, 2018. Pictured above, Mantis, the robot, loads a cube for a powerup. (Photo by Angi Agle)

 

The Secret City Wildbots are competing in the Palmetto regional robotics competition in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina this weekend.

The Wildbots ended the first day of qualification rounds on Friday with four wins and three losses, Oak Ridge Board of Education member Angi Agle said. In two of the losses, the third robot on the team did not play, and Oak Ridge was 2-on-3 for both of those.

The Wildbots ended the day ranked 33rd of 64, with two more matches today (Saturday, March 3). Number 75 is scheduled for 9:42 a.m., and Number 96 is at 12:09 p.m. Alliance selections should occur at 12:15 p.m.

Agle said Mantis, the robot, has performed better with each successive match, so two more wins could significantly improve Oak Ridge’s standing, “thereby improving our odds of being selected for an alliance for the elimination rounds tomorrow afternoon (Saturday afternoon).” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12 Tagged With: Angi Agle, FIRST Robotics, Oak Ridge Board of Education, Palmetto Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, robotics, robotics competition, Secret City Wildbots

ORNL’s Gibson named SME outstanding young engineer

Posted at 12:18 pm May 10, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Brian T. Gibson (Photo courtesy ORNL)

Brian T. Gibson (Photo courtesy ORNL)

Brian T. Gibson, a postdoctoral research associate at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been named one of the SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineers for 2017.

Gibson has doctorate and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt University and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the West Virginia University Institute of Technology, a press release said. He works in the Materials Processing and Joining group in the Materials Science and Technology Division at ORNL.

Before joining ORNL, Gibson studied as a Tennessee Space Grant fellow in the Vanderbilt University Welding Automation Laboratory. His research focuses on technical challenges at the intersection of robotics and materials processing, with specific research interests that include solid-state joining, additive manufacturing, in-process quality monitoring, robotic force control, and signal processing, the press release said.

UT-Battelle manages ORNL for DOE’s Office of Science. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time, the press release said. For more information, visit http://science.energy.gov/.

Filed Under: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: additive manufacturing, Brian T. Gibson, DOE, materials processing, Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Office of Science, ORNL, outstanding young engineer, robotics, SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineers, U.S. Department of Energy, UT-Battelle, Vanderbilt University Welding Automation Laboratory

Secret City Wildbots survived to semifinals before loss to No. 1 seed

Posted at 10:07 am April 26, 2017
By Angi Agle Leave a Comment

The Secret City Wildbots, Team 4265, were underdogs in the quarterfinals, but they survived to the semifinals where they lost to the number one seed in the First Robotics World Championship in Houston on Saturday, April 22, 2017. (Photo by Angi Agle)

The Secret City Wildbots, Team 4265, were underdogs in the quarterfinals, but they survived to the semifinals where they lost to the number one seed in the First Robotics World Championship in Houston on Saturday, April 22, 2017. (Photo by Angi Agle)

 

HOUSTON—The Secret City Wildbots were underdogs in the quarterfinals, but they survived to the semifinals where they lost to the number one seed in the First Robotics World Championship in Houston on Saturday.

Alliance member Team 3824, Hardin Valley RoHawkTics, suffered a drive train failure after the first semifinal round, and was replaced by backup Team 3140, Farragut Flagship.

“Despite a great performance, the alliance fell to the team led by Team 973, the Greybots of Atascadero, California,” Oak Ridge Board of Education member Angi Agle said.

“This is the first time, to my knowledge, that these three teams (Oak Ridge, Hardin Valley, and Farragut) have partnered on the same alliance,” Agle said. “Hopefully, this will open the door to increased collaboration in future years, embodying the FIRST spirit of ‘coopretition.'” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Education, K-12, Slider Tagged With: Angi Agle, Farragut Flagship, First Robotics World Championship, Hardin Valley RoHawkTics, robotics, Secret City Wildbots, Team 3140, Team 3824, Team 4265

Business sponsorships sought for robotics competition

Posted at 12:37 pm December 11, 2016
By Owen Driskill Leave a Comment

vex_logo

Roane State Community College and Morgan County Career and Technical Center are seeking business sponsors for a VEX Robotics Competition event that will be held January 12-13 at Roane State’s Clinton location.

The VEX Robotics Competition, presented by the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation, is the largest and fastest growing middle school and high school robotics program globally with more than 16,000 teams from 40 countries playing in more than 1,350 competitions worldwide.

Roane State’s Clinton Higher Education and Workforce Training Facility will host a state VEX Robotics Qualifier Tournament Competition from January 12-13. Approximately 30 high school and middle school teams are expected to participate, a press release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, College, Education, Front Page News, K-12 Tagged With: Clinton Higher Education and Workforce Training Facility, Gordon Williams, mechatronics, Morgan County Career and Technical Center, Roane State, Roane State Community College, robotics, Robotics Education and Competition Foundation, STEM, VEX Robotics Competetion, VEX Robotics Qualifier Tournament Competition

Oak Ridge Schools receives three funding awards from Carl Perkins Reserve Grant

Posted at 1:59 pm July 14, 2016
By Holly Cross Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Schools Logo

Oak Ridge Schools has received three competitive grant awards from the Carl Perkins Reserve funds. The first award in the amount of $50,000 is designated for the continuation of a large competitive grant that was won to increase the offerings at Oak Ridge High School in advanced manufacturing, a pathway that includes welding, robotics, and new courses in mechatronics engineering and machining technologies.

The second award is for $10,000, and it will continue the schools system’s efforts in assisting students by paying for industry certification vouchers in nursing, Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, and AutoCAD concept-to-production toolsets, a press release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12 Tagged With: advanced manufacturing, Carl Perkins Reserve funds, grant awards, industry certification vouchers, mechatronics engineering, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge Schools, Pathways to Prosperity, robotics, welding

Oak Ridge Robotics Academy teaches robotics engineering in week-long camp

Posted at 11:19 am July 20, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Josie Fellers and Olivia Jones

Josie Fellers and teammate Olivia Jones assemble their robot’s arm at the ORAU Oak Ridge Robotics Academy. (Photo courtesy ORAU)

 

More than two dozen students from across East Tennessee recently spent a week designing, building, and programming robots during the Oak Ridge Robotics Academy.

Held at ORAU’s Center for Science Education, the week-long, free camp was led by Instructors Tad Douce and Ed Goodwin, both co-directors of the National Robotics Challenge, with help from Kayla Canario, the 2011 Extreme Classroom Makeover contest runner-up and the technology coordinator for Bearden Middle School.

The 6th annual ORAU Oak Ridge Robotics Academy included 26 students in seventh, eighth, and ninth grades.

Students were randomly placed into teams and faced daily engineering challenges such as programming their robots to solve a maze without being controlled or designing an arm to pick up a tennis ball.

“We call it a robotics academy, but it’s really an engineering academy,” Douce said. “Our main goal is to get the students to work with others, think logically and solve problems.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Bearded Middle School, Center for Science Educaiton, East Tennessee, Ed Goodwin, engineering, Extreme Classroom Makeover, Josie Fellers, Kayla Canario, National Robotics Challenge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Robotics Academy, ORAU, ORNL, Robertsville Middle School, robotics, robotics engineering, Tad Douce

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Classifieds

Availability of the draft environmental assessment for off-site depleted uranium manufacturing (DOE/EA-2252)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the … [Read More...]

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

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Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

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