Minnetonka High School’s robotics team, Chicken Bot Pie, showcased their robot at the Minnesota State Fair to promote STEM education on August 29. The team won third place in the FRC Robotics Mechanical Division at the fair. In addition, the team marched in the State Fair Parade.
Chicken Bot Pie demonstrated their robot to full crowds in the Education Building at the Fair. Team members explained to the public the challenge they solved, how they designed and built their robot, Maverick, and what Maveric can do. They also shared how their past season went, which included trips to the state and world championships. “FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teaches us to overcome problems and set goals, and this is kind of preparing us for the future,” said Minnetonka sophomore Jon Paul Merry, who was one of the team presenters.
Chicken Bot Pie added to their awards with a third place showing at the State Fair for their robot’s mechanical design and construction.
After each presentation, members of the public were invited to drive Maverick and many young students were sparked to get involved in robotics and STEM. “Driving the robot was an enjoyable moment at the state fair and stood out compared to the other attractions,” remarked Magnus H., a student from St. Paul.
Chicken Bot Pie competes in FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), an international competition of over 5,000 teams. During each year’s season, the team takes a complex challenge and builds a robot from scratch to solve it. Over 250 high schools in Minnesota participate in FRC.
Operations Captain Milan Darji stressed how important spreading the word of STEM education is to the team’s core values. Besides the State Fair, the team has also promoted STEM and demonstrated their robot at events like the second annual Tonka Robot day, and demos at the corporate offices of sponsors Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL) and JEM Technical Inc..
Chicken Bot Pie is embarking on their next season in September led by their four captains, seniors Ayman Mohamud and Parker Olson, and sophomores Evan Ginter and Milan Darji. The team is recruiting new members and will have a table at the MHS Activities Fair on September 13 to explain all of the opportunities on the team. Strategy Captain Evan Ginter emphasized that “It’s a great community, we have a lot of fun, and we learn so many important and practical skills that we can use in our future work.” Operations Captain Milan Darji also explained that “We don’t only teach and use STEM skills, marketing and business skills are also needed. You don’t need any experience or background to join, just motivation to learn.”
