Buchanan has a Robotics Team!
by Thomas Hoyt, Writer
Yes, Buchanan has a robotics team called Megahurtz! They are part of a national organization called FIRST, which according to their website “is the world’s leading youth-serving nonprofit advancing STEM education”. The team’s number is 5056. Megahurtz works to design, build, test, and compete with their robot at FIRST competitions.
I volunteer to serve the team as a mentor to these students. As a mentor, I am excited to watch these kids brainstorm and work together to build their robot for competition. Last year the team competed at a district event held in St. Joseph, MI, where they placed 2nd! This was a major achievement for the team and I am excited to see what will be accomplished in the coming year.
I had the chance to talk with a couple of the team members and here is what they have to say. Elliot Johnson is a part of the team and is now enjoying his second year. Elliot tells me, “It’s a really great place for nerdy people.” The best part about being with the team, according to Cali Layne, is “working as a team”. She also tells me that the competitions are both “exciting and terrifying”!
During the off season, the team spends time with other projects. Currently the team is working to take an old go kart and rebuild it to be powered by electric motors and basically function much like a robot. The ideas the team has submitted include powering each wheel with an electric motor, operating the go kart either while sitting in it or remotely, and even give it some automation!
So if you consider yourself a nerd or geek and have the passion for math, computer programming, engineering and design, fabrication and building, and overall robotics, then come join Megahurtz today!
About MegaHurtz Robotics: Formed in 2013, the Tech Club helped to raise interest in starting a robotics team at Buchanan High School. The cost of starting a team is substantial, however the State of Michigan had made available a huge grant to new teams. This grant combined with a FIRST Rookie grant provided us with the funds needed to get off the ground. While we didn’t make it to the state championships our first year, we did win the Rookie Inspiration Award highlighting our team as an inspiration to other start-up teams what is possible with a dedicated group of students and mentors.
Team Lead: Philip Place, with Buchanan High School
The Buchanan Chronicle 