Robotics club geared up for win

PLEASANTON -- They may be young, but their experience goes way beyond their teenage years.
The Amador Valley High School Robotics team will make a seventh- straight appearance in the ninth International Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Competition this weekend at San Diego -- representing the lone high school program in an event dominated by collegiate participants.
"We have our work cut out for us," said Tim Soppet, robotics club president.
With the task of creating a submarine that can complete a mission without any human intervention, the club's rich history has placed them as high as second and a top-five finish last year.
"After the last competition, we worked on exercises to see what we did well and focus on things we hadn't done well," Soppet said.
Students spent 11 months planning and building, with a flurry of12- to 14-hour work days leading up to the competition.
Dubbed the Barracuda Mark V, Amador Valley's hopes of placing another top-five finish hinges on design improvements focusing on stability and flexibility.
One of the major changes is the reduction of the submarine's overall length -- cut down to 20 inches from 40 inches last year. The change resulted in a drop of about 30 pounds from the robot's original 70-pound weigh in last year.
The club -- composed of 10 current and former students -- has raised funds through grants and donations to build projects. This year's project was in the price range of about $7,500, including accommodations to get to the competition.
Teams will be judged on how well their submarines perform in a preset underwater obstacle course. Some missions include the submarine locating areas and moving items.
Practice runs will be held today and Friday before qualifying begins Saturday. Finals are scheduled for Sunday afternoon with three to five teams vying for this year's bragging rights.
But heated rivalries are something the competition won't feature, as it is not uncommon for teams to share ideas and strategies.
"It doesn't have the atmosphere of a competition. People are always throwing out ideas and looking to get better," member Randal Droher said.
Even though the competition hasn't started, students already are finding the process rewarding.
"I've learned a lot about teamwork and having to depend on others while at the same time they're depending on me," Jon Crussell said.