Tan(x) Roll through Canandaigua Robotics Team’s Inaugural Year

Patrick Lynch
Contributor

January 1, 2009 marked the beginning of the first Canandaigua Academy First Robotics Team, a team that got the gears going the minute it sprang into its technological existence.

The origin of the team dates back to before 2009, when Canandaigua Middle School long-term technology substitute teacher John Sarazyn brought forward the idea for a First Robotics Team at the Academy. Sarazyn had competed in the First Robotics competition as a high school student himself, and thought that Canandaigua Academy was the perfect place for the organization to make a home. After all, with some of the brightest and most inspired students around, no place else could have seemed so welcoming.

John Sarazyn would not be disappointed.

After getting approval from school authorities and obtaining the support of his mentors (Canandaigua Academy technology teacher Jeff Carson and his fellow faculty member and math teacher Matthew Ward, just to name a few) Sarazyn was ready to make a team.

Within no time a twenty-person team, of all ages, was ready to embark on an experimental six-week journey into the depths of engineering, construction, and design.

Calling themselves Tan(x), which is pronounced “tanks” (like the machine), the team began a six week quest to build a robot that would compete in the “Lunacy” competition at the First Robotics Regional Event at RIT.

Why Tan(x)? Senior student and team member Byron Smith explains, “ It was mathy and like a tank, because tanks are cool.”

And who could disagree with that?

“The idea of he competition,” says Canandaigua Academy math teacher and mentor to the First Robotics Team Matthew Ward, “ was to create a robot that could successfully pick up “moon rocks” on a crater-like surface which was very bumpy and where there was little friction, similar to that of the moon’s surface.”

With this daunting task in front of them, Tan(x) hit the drawing board and began to engineer and design their robot.

Thanks to the generous contributions of Xerox, the team’s sponsor, and a starting Kit issued to all participants, Tan(x) was able to hit the ground rolling and begin the robot-making process.

“I really enjoyed it,” remarked Canandaigua Academy senior and team member Robert Wied. Wied, who joined the club because he plans to pursue a career in engineering, adds, “People should join the robotics team because it is a nice thing to put on your college resume, there are a lot of scholarship opportunities, and you have a lot of fun with real life engineering experiences.”

“No matter what classes you take,” adds Ward, “you don’t get the same experience as you do in (The First Robotics Team). It’s a hands-on experience that few classes can offer kids in the engineering field.”

Besides all that fun and experience you’d be a part of something else too, a successful program!

After completing their robot and taking part in what Byron Smith calls “three days of as much robotics as a single human being could take in one lifetime,” Tan(x) finished 13th out of 49 schools at the regional competition at RIT-A place good enough to qualify for a spot in the finals. Not bad for a rookie season.

Since all good things must come to an end, however, the team was forced to end their season at RIT. With a couple of pats on the back and a completed robot in front of them this team’s confidence was stirred, but certainly not shaken. With a little experience and knowledge under their belts Tan(x) has set a new target for their sights, a target that lies just thirteen places ahead.