Ironclad, Houston bound

BRADLEY — Leviathan, the 115-pound robot, is ready for battle.

In a few days, all the hard work, dedication and brainpower the BBCHS Ironclad Robotics team melded into its latest build will be put to the test at the 2025 FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Championship in Houston, Texas.

The international competition will pit Bradley-Bourbonnais against 600 of the best robotics teams from around the world.

In their humble forge, Ironclad students, mentors and coaches come together like a well-oiled machine to make adjustments and run tests ahead of the April 16 -19 championship.

In her first year as head coach, science teacher Dany Danhausen is getting the team ready to travel its farthest distance for the competition. The team recently placed second out of 35 teams at the Central Illinois Regional.

“This is our Super Bowl, and it’d be really cool to see our robot in action and how we compare with the rest of the world,” she said.

A GoFundMe for the team’s travel expenses has raised more than $12,000 of the $20,000 goal.

“All the kids [on the team] should be able to go,” Danhausen said. “They had a part in this robot one way or another, and I would love to see them watch their robot get on the biggest stage possible.”

With inclusivity as a main objective for the club, which has about 40 members, students are not charged membership fees to join. Sponsorships from local companies and organizations are put toward equipment costs and competition entry fees.

The team now has enough funds to bring everyone to the competition, and any further donations will help pay for meals and experiences.

For some members, the trip to Houston will be their first time stepping foot on an airplane. A recent competition in Tennessee was the first time out of Illinois for at least one student.

“This could be a trip of a lifetime for some of them,” Danhausen said.

The robot

This year’s game was ocean-themed, inspiring the name Leviathan, which refers to a mythological sea serpent.

Comprised mostly of metal along with some 3D-printed parts and electronic components, the robot was built to drive around and manipulate objects, including a 12-inch PVC pipe and a large kickball, called “coral” and “algae” for the competition.

After the game objectives are revealed each year, students get to work on brainstorming and strategizing to build a robot from scratch.

“A lot of the parts that you’re seeing here are custom-made,” Danhausen said. “These are visions from our students. Our students are [using computer-aided design]. Our students are cutting them and building them. Our students are wiring them. Our students are coding them and they’re driving them.”

While her students are all bright, Danhausen said that being one of the “smart kids” has nothing to do with being part of the team. Science, technology, engineering and math skills can be taught to anyone willing to learn.

“Everybody has an ability to do something,” she said. “We take kids from all abilities. We take kids from all backgrounds. People who’ve never coded before, we teach them how to code.”

She also has students dedicated to the business side of things, such as contacting sponsors, managing social media accounts, and creating promotional videos and newsletters.

Valuable experience

It has been six years since Bradley-Bourbonnais made it to the FIRST competition.

The team was started 10 years ago by former math and computer science teacher Mark Hampton, who is now one of the team’s mentors in his retirement.

“It’s really impressive what the kids and the adults together have been able to accomplish,” Hampton said. “I’m probably even prouder of the network of sponsors, parents and alumni, that extended group that is all helping out behind the scenes.”

Other mentors include local STEM professionals, former robotics club students and their parents.

Nick Thiesen, a mentor who was part of the high school’s first robotics team, now is a research and development engineer at Shoup Manufacturing in Kankakee.

A lot of the work he does daily, such as 3D modeling and product engineering, are skills he was exposed to through the robotics program.

“It’s a program I think a lot more schools should have,” said Thiesen, a 2018 graduate. “Being part of the team that started it and seeing it continue to grow like it has, it’s a very good feeling.”

Hunter Metzger, a junior, said that making it to the FIRST competition is an achievement for everyone on the team.

“I think it will be this amazing moment that people are able to learn what FIRST really means, and then see how much all of their efforts have been put towards this high level,” he said.

Metzger said one of the challenges for the build was keeping the robot from tipping the 115-pound weight limit. The team had to innovate ways to make parts lighter while maintaining functionality.

“I actually like the whole designing process of it,” noted Metzger, who wants to work in aerospace engineering. “I’ve been really big on engineering, so I love to just figure out how the robot will work between its other systems, and just figuring out [solutions].”

Lohita Gampala, a freshman, was involved with building the robot as well as contacting companies and giving presentations for sponsorships.

“It’s not just a club,” she said. “You get a lot of real world experiences that other clubs and classrooms aren’t able to give you.”

Gampala noted that everyone on the team works well together, regardless of grade level or gender.

“A lot of people take it as something that is for ‘nerds,‘” she said. “No, this is something that everyone can do. … A lot of us spent so many hours in this forge or in the classroom. We really care. We care about this robot. We care about each other. It’s just a really great group to be in.”