Yay! Our team clinched the championship award in the open category of Robotics Competition organised by the Singapore Science Centre on 8 Sep. My team consisted of Nicky, Jeremy (Clerence's brother), Jia He, Derek and me (Lim Min), all from QPS P6A'2006. Lim Jeck could not join us as he had to be at the SMO Prize Presentation on the day of the competition. The theme for this year is "Civil safety, security and emergency response". To prepare for this competition, all of us met at my house from Tuesday to Friday, 7.30pm to 11.30pm and on Saturday from 6.30am to 8am. We created a skit. It went like this: Jeremy would light a toilet-paper house on fire. I would operate the robot so that it would move towards the fire and squirt water onto the burning house and then go around it, cordoning off the area with a rope.
The whole experience was quite hilarious! Read on.
When we reached the science centre and realised that we were supposed to run the robot on the carpet instead of a smooth floor (oh no, our robot could not run properly on carpeted floor!), we quickly took our planks and 6 other teams' planks from their booths without them knowing as they were not there yet except for 1 JC Group. This group was kind enough to remove their belongings on the board at the top, to let us take the plank at the bottom. Weren't we resourceful! All of the judges did not notice that, or so we thought.
A group of judges came and noticed we were from different schools. They commented that it was the first time they had come across any team that comprised students from 4 different secondary schools (NUSH, RV, HCI, RGS). They were impressed, and kept complimenting that we were cohesive and close-knit even after leaving our primary school. They also asked if the robot used some sort of heat sensor to detect the fire. We replied "no". After the skit and the Q & A with the judges, we washed the plate of ashes and wiped the planks clean with a whole roll of toilet paper from the science centre girl's toilet. Aren't we resourceful again! Actually we tore out pieces of toilet paper to wipe the planks clean but then Nicky took the whole roll and rubbed it on the planks. We pulled out a chunk of toilet paper and wiped the planks, leaving the roll in a bad shape. We then returned one of the planks to the JC group. The JC group removed their things again so that we could put the plank back. Then Jeremy was playing with the matchsticks, enjoying the sight of it being burned away gradually. Then the bad news came. We had to present to another group of judges! There were actually two penal of judges! So we went to the JC group and took their plank again which meant they had to lift up their things agian. And there was only 1 matchstick left! We quickly set up everything again.
The second group of judges again asked if we used any heat sensor (maybe this was an important criteria). After they left, we took one of the planks and returned to the JC group again which meant they had to lift their things again (poor them!).
To be sure that we did not have to go through the same process again, we confirmed with the organiser that there would not be a third round of judges. Since the girl's toilet had no more toilet paper for us, the boys went to the boy's toilet to get some. I think they took all of the toilet papers too. We cleared up all the things (11am) and waited for the announcement scheduled for 3pm. I went for the sprint race at 2pm and met my team at McDonalds at about 3pm. I asked them for the result but they said we got 1st but not champion. I didn't understand what they meant and they said that was what my father said. I only realised what this meant later. My father asked for the result and the organiser said that we got 1st. Then Nicky, Jeremy, Jia He and Derek asked my father for the result and he said we got champion. Nicky asked if that was what the organiser said and my father replied, "No, they did not say we are champion, this is what I say. They only said we got 1st." (Get it?) This led to the confusion.
We did get 1st/Champion (same meaning) and won a trophy, 5 gold medals and 2 NXT Robotics Sets. We presented the trophy to QPS.
Update: Singapore Science Centre is sponsoring us (one coach + 3 members) to Taiwan-Taipei to take part in the Robotics Olympiad from 16 - 18 Nov. Wish us luck!!
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