Hale Kula robotics team earns spot in world event

Hale Kula Elementary School students (front, from left) Kennedy Pemberton, Brianna Lebron and Jamie Nena proudly display the design award the "Cyborg Eagles" robotics team won at the VEX IQ State Championship at Pearlridge Center Uptown, here, recently. Also at the competition were coaches Tami Sego (back left) and Vera Yamanaka.

Hale Kula Elementary School students (front, from left) Kennedy Pemberton, Brianna Lebron and Jamie Nena proudly display the design award the "Cyborg Eagles" robotics team won at the VEX IQ State Championship at Pearlridge Center Uptown, here, recently. Also at the competition were coaches Tami Sego (back left) and Vera Yamanaka.

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii (March 7, 2014) -- The Hale Kula Elementary "Cyborg Eagles" robotics team has been working hard this school year, and it all paid off at the Hawaii VEX IQ State Championship, held at Pearlridge Center, recently.

The Hawaii Council of Engineering Societies and Pearlridge Center presented the event with support from the Highlands Intermediate School Robotics Team, the Pearl City High School Robotics Team and the Friends of Hawaii Robotics.

The Hale Kula Elementary team consists of nine fourth and fifth graders and for the VEX IQ State Championship. Three of the nine students were chosen to participate in the competition. Coaches Tami Sego and Vera Yamanaka chose Brianna Lebron, Jamie Nena and Kennedy Pemberton based on their problem-solving skills, perseverance and effort.

VEX IQ is a system designed of structural pieces that snap together and come apart without tools, to allow for quick build times and easy modifications. A variety of gears, wheels and other accessories allow students to customize and build their mobile robots that are controlled by a robot brain or a controller.

Hale Kula has been building upon a season of successes from competing in various state competitions that include the first Lego League District Tournament in November, the VEX Middle School Tournament in December and the Aloha VEX IQ Qualifying Tournament in January. After the school's performance in the Aloha VEX IQ Qualifying Tournament, it was invited to the state competition and had less than a month to prepare.

"We always kept track of our robot?'s design in our Engineering Notebook," said team member Brianna Lebron. "We tried out different robot designs to see which one would be the best. We ended up with a clawbot with an extended arm."

This design proved to be successful because it led the team to qualify for the International VEX Summer Games, which will be held here in Hawaii in July -- and especially saved them a spot in the 2014 VEX Robotics World Championship VEX IQ Challenge that will be held in Anaheim, Calif., at the Anaheim Convention Center, April 23-26.

The event brings together top robotics teams to celebrate their accomplishments and compete with and against the best teams from around the world.

"We are very proud of the Cyborg Eagles' hard work and perseverance, and we're excited to be representing Hale Kula and Hawaii at the VEX IQ World Championship," said Coach Tami Sego.

Congratulations to the Cyborg Eagles on their wonderful accomplishment and may they be successful at the April competition in Anaheim.