Winning robotics team seeks sponsor to defend world title

Free Range Robotics students George Gillard (13), Ethan Allen (17), Daniel Minnee (17) Michael Lawton (17) and Max Waller (15). Photo / Supplied

A kiwi robotics team which won a world championship a week ago says it needs more financial support in order to return to the US in a year's time to defend the title.

The victorious Auckland-based team - Free Range Robotics - is made up of 20 home-schooled students aged between 12 and 17.

They travelled to Dallas, Texas on April 23 to compete against 440 robotics teams from around the world.

Team administrator Terry Diane said before attending the Vex World Robotics Championship, the team fundraised for their trip by organising sausage sizzles, drama shows, and dances through their home-school network. Some parents even took on stock-taking work to support their children's trip.

Coach John Waller said: "Finance is the biggest thing for us. As we are home school parents, we don't have the support of a school.

"To send the whole team to the US costs around $20,000 just in airfares, and a single robot can cost up to $4000 in parts. We'll have to raise about $40,000 to help run the team and send them to the States again next year."

Waller said many families struggled to support their children. However, there were clear long-term social and commercial benefits for businesses who invested in students.

The team has set up a sponsorship page on its website and will soon begin approaching businesses for support.

Chris Chitty, Massey University's senior robotics tutor, said it was important for the students to attend robotics events not only to meet people like themselves but also to realise that New Zealanders can be competitive internationally.

"In New Zealand we tend to think everyone is better than us. They went over there and used the same equipment as everyone else, made something out of nothing, and absolutely shredded everyone else in the competition."

Robot driver Ethan Allen (17), who refers to his robot as Chuck, said: "We were up against another home schooled team in the final. We had a good design and I'd had plenty of practice. In the end it was the programming that got us through."

Apprentice robot builder George Gillard (13), who joined the team last September, said he would like to study engineering in the future.

"It's great to meet other people who have the same passion as you," he said.