Wilsonville Spokesman Online

Team Green Tooth readies for state robotic tournament

Boones Ferry Primary team prepares to compete in Hillsboro

• By: Josh Kulla  
• Published: 1/12/2010 3:39:11 PM

Lego Robotics
eam Green Tooth members Kjel Pettenger-Willey (above left) and Luke Puppo operate the team’s robot during a Dec. 13 tournament at Mentor Graphics.

Should we harness cow’s breath or use decomposing biomass for our future energy needs?

It’s certainly not that simple a question as peak oil approaches and competition for affordable energy increases around the globe. But it’s a step in the right direction, and it’s not adults who are doing the research. This time, it’s school children across the United States who are exploring transportation and the consequences of our choices in the U.S. First Lego League robotics competition.

And this year, robotics has come to Wilsonville’s Boones Ferry Primary School.

“One of the things they’re learning is that learning about technology and science is fun and cool,” said Mary Pettenger, leader of Team Green Tooth. “You can do really exciting things with it. I really want to get them all excited today about what the future will be, so in that sense I love this opportunity.”

Eight fourth- and fifth-grade students at Boones Ferry comprise Green Tooth, whose members stand out by virtue of matching green stocking caps. The team came together early in September, and on Dec. 13 consummated nearly four months of hard work by charging to a third-place finish at a U.S. First Lego League tournament at Mentor Graphics headquarters in Wilsonville.

“For their first time, it’s so exciting,” said parent Julie Yochim, whose son Ethan is a team member.

“We were crossing our fingers so hard, but when we heard ‘the guys with the funny green hats,’ we knew we’d won,” Ethan said after the tournament.

The third-place finish earned them a spot in the Jan. 16-17 state championship tournament at Liberty High School in Hillsboro. But that’s secondary for a team focused first and foremost on learning.
“It’s more about the process than it is about winning,” said Pettenger. “I really appreciate that being embedded in the whole program.”

Engineering and science
Engineering and science, along with a good dose of fun, are the key ingredients in the various U.S. FIRST events, which feature teams of robots working together to solve problems in a fast-paced competitive environment.

Participants range in age from 6 to 18. Robots start with Lego model kits and move up to custom-made, machines with multiple working appendages capable of speeds up to 25 miles per hour. Some weigh well over 100 pounds.

All teams involved also must give a scientific presentation based around a central theme. This is graded by a panel of judges based on multiple criteria and is just as important to a team’s final score as its performance on the field of play.

Green Tooth team members gave a sneak preview to the West Linn-Wilsonville School Board a few days before the Mentor Graphics tournament. It left the adults in charge nodding in admiration.

“I was pretty impressed with the kids there,” said superintendent Roger Woehl. “They were very thoughtful, and the focus on sustainability was nice. It’s project-based, putting a challenge in front of them to do something and you have to design something to make it happen and do the research, and that’s very real stuff.”

Each of Green Tooth’s eight members gave a short presentation centered on a different type of alternative fuel currently being researched. They range from recycled methane and hydrogen fuel cells to biodiesel and electricity.

The team has been aided by parent mentors including Terry Murphy and Larry Oesterreich, both engineers and software programmers. They also have gained corporate assistance from FLIR and a pair of local dentists.

But in the end, the bulk of responsibility during a competition falls on the competitors. Coaches are even forbidden from communicating with team members during presentations or while robots are doing battle.

“They call it a ‘no-touch’ rule, but we can’t even tell them what to do,” Pettenger said. “If we even nod our head the team can lose points for that, so it really is their thing, and it really builds a lot of confidence. They learn a lot about trial and error. A mistake is only a mistake if you don’t learn from it.”

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