EnTech Team 281, which meets at Greenville Technical College (GTC), won top honors at the FIRST Robotics Bayou Regional Competition held this weekend in New Orleans along with the competition’s Quality Award.
The team is made up of three dozen students from seven high schools as well as home schooled students from across the county. EnTech Team 281 is assisted by Greenville Technical College’s Mechanical Engineering Technology and Engineering Graphics Technology students, who help with robot design as part of a capstone class.
Seeded in 14th place coming into the competition’s quarter finals, the team won its way to the top, beating out 56 other teams including groups from China, Mexico, and Turkey. Now the group is making plans to attend the FIRST Robotics World Championship to be held in Houston in April.
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded by inventor Dean Kamen in 1989 in an attempt to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Kamen created a sporting event that connects students with adult mentors to design, build, wire, and program robots that compete against one another in a challenging competition.
GTC has sponsored a FIRST team since 1997, and this is the oldest team in the state. In that time, the EnTech team has captured four other regional wins along with the regional chairman’s award.
Michelin serves as primary sponsor for the team, assisted by GTC, SOLIDWORKS, Greenville Technical Charter High School, Baldor, Laserflex, and GE. Mechanical Engineering Technology Department Head Mark Hapstack, who started the first team at the college and has been involved ever since, now serves as mentor.