JRHS at PCHS Robotics Challenge: Maze Solver
submitted by Alex Rees, John Rennie High School student (Sec.4)
This April, John Rennie competed in PCHS’ Robotics Challenge: Maze Solver. Teams were tasked with building a robot that could successfully navigate and solve 4 different mazes. The event, hosted by PCHS science teacher Doug Collins, challenged students to use their creativity and problem-solving skills to navigate winding walls and daunting dead-ends. Solving a maze with a robot is quite the brain teaser, but it was very interesting to see how each team had a different approach.
In a complicated challenge like this, it can be hard to know exactly where to start. For John Rennie, after a quick brainstorm, we got to work building our robot, nicknamed aMazeEd, because, well, puns make everything better. One of the biggest issues we faced early on was the coding required to have our robot solve a maze.
Thankfully, with the help and inspiration of other teams, we cracked the code (literally) and found an algorithm that did the trick. Without their help, it would have been near impossible.
What made this challenge so special was the atmosphere. Sure, we’re all trying to solve the 4 mazes individually, but everyone seemed to be helping each other overcome their own hurdles. This made it much less competitive and much more fun. Once we had solved the 4 mazes, we were able to help others who were struggling.
Our LEGO robot used 3 ultrasonic sensors to detect the walls of the maze. Other teams had very different designs, such as a swiveling head that could look in any direction. Every robot worked slightly differently, and it was surprising to see all the different approaches to the challenge. To see what John Rennie’s Robot looked like check out this short video:
After solving 4 mazes and refueling with a much-needed pizza, the “MegaMaze” was revealed. It was a combination of all 4 mazes put together. This proved to be the hardest maze yet, but it inspired us to succeed even more. John Rennie managed to autonomously solve 4 mazes and achieve one of the highest scoring runs on the MegaMaze.
Overall, the entire challenge was nothing short of exhilarating.
From the intense trials and obstacles, to adrenaline-pumping moments, every step was a test of the dedication and ingenuity of the John Rennie Robotics Team. I’d like to thank Doug Collins for hosting this event, along with all our mentors and teammates for making any of this possible. It was truly fantastic, and I look forward to the next step for our robotics team!
