The Iron Patriots, a robotics team based out of Beyer High School in Modesto, CA, won the 2024 Imagery Award and a First Place win at the FIRST Sacramental Regional Competition.
The team competed at the Sacramento Regional in Elk Grove CA on March 13th – 16th with 38 teams from across California, including 2 teams from China and 1 from Taiwan. The team’s alliance won in the finals, putting them in first place for the regional competition. Additionally, the Iron Patriots earned the Imagery Award, which celebrates “attractiveness in engineering and outstanding visual aesthetic integration of machine and team appearance.”
The Iron Patriots are active in the community, hosting an annual low-cost STEM summer camp, attending community events such as First Fridays and the Stanislaus County Fair, and giving presentations at local junior high and elementary schools. They mentor students at local elementary and junior high schools and host a FIRST Lego League tournament for elementary school level teams. Team members lead STEM events at schools and help girl scout troops earn robotics badges.
The Iron Patriots, FRC team #4135, compete through FIRST Robotics. Combining the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. FIRST Robotics Competition is the ultimate Sport for the Mind. High-school student participants call it “the hardest fun you’ll ever have.” Under strict rules, limited time and resources, teams of students are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program industrial-size robots to play a difficult field game against like-minded competitors. It’s as close to real-world engineering as a student can get. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team. Each season ends with an exciting FIRST Championship<www.firstchampionship.org/?__hstc=212927755.3def742e2fca3675f6a132a1cdc18655.1645487215567.1648393817674.1648408895697.26&__hssc=212927755.5.1648408895697&__hsfp=3382236139>.
The robots are designed to operate both autonomously and with drivers. This year the robots had to pick up and launch round game pieces, called notes, into one of two targets- an amp or a speaker. Additional notes could be picked up on the field and scored with as well. At the end of game play, the robots had to pick themselves off the ground and hang from a chain. Individual teams are also judged on how well they work with their alliance- additional teams, to complete tasks and score points for their side. Students come up with the design, design the robot using CAD software, wire, install pneumatics, and machine custom parts. The team also has programmers who write code, including an autonomous period where the robot moves without human control. A business sub-team focuses on outreach, business plans, and marketing. 18 mentors, including local engineers, mechanical, and business experts help the students reach their goals.
The Iron Patriots Robotics team is composed of 70 high school students, mostly from Beyer High School, with some students from Davis, Downey, Enochs, Gregori, Hart Ransom, Johansen, Modesto High, and Riverbank High. The team is open to all area high school students. The team is led by Beyer High School teachers Heidi Pagani and Karla Valencia-Nunez, this is the 13th year of competing at the FRC level. The team has previously qualified for World Championships in 2016, 2017, 2022 and 2023. Coach Heidi Pagani won the prestigious Woodie Flowers Finalist Award in 2021 for excellence in mentoring and inspiring students.
The team will next travel to Monterey March 27th to 30th for their next round of regional competition. Modesto City Schools provides some of the funds necessary to travel, and the Beyer Robotics Boosters provide additional funding through fundraising, sponsorships, and community donations.
For more information visit: www.beyerrobotics.org<www.beyerrobotics.org>
CONTACT:
Karla Valencia Nunez
valencia-nunez.k@monet.k12.ca.us<mailto:valencia-nunez.k@monet.k12.ca.us>
(209) 594-2230
