PORTSMOUTH — Eight Portsmouth students are members of a local robotics team that represented Rhode Island at the 2016 FIRST Robotics World Championships in St. Louis April 27-30 

The Aquidneck Island Robotics AIR Strike 78 FRC team, made up of high school students from Rhode Island and Massachusetts, competed in the 2016 FIRST STRONGHOLD Competition against more than 3,000 other students. In just six weeks the team designed, built and programmed a robot to compete in events throughout New England. 

AIR Strike 78 finished the New England competitions ranked 21st of 181 in the region and qualified to move on to the championship event at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. In that city, the team’s division included squads from all over the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Israel, Australia, and Taiwan. 

AIR Strike was the only team from Rhode Island at the event. The team finished the Carver division 18th of 75, although it did not move on the quarterfinals. 

Portsmouth residents on the team include Jacob Kimes, Freddy Collins, Seamus Sullivan, Sami Jefferds, Josh Ramos and Dan Matthews from Portsmouth High School; Aidan Lynch from Portsmouth Abbey; and Spencer Dallenbaugh from St. George’s School in Newport.

‘Varsity sport for the mind’

The FIRST Robotics Competition combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. It’s dubbed a “varsity sport for the mind.”

Just like in the real world, teams are tasked with raising money, creating a brand, designing a robot, creating a scouting plan for competitors, and working as a team with their group and with other teams. 

Students participating FIRST Robotics Competitions are eligible to apply for nearly $22 million in scholarships from more than 200 colleges and universities.

Aquidneck Island Robotics is the largest youth competitive robotics group in Rhode Island, allowing K-12 students from any school to participate on teams of different levels. 

For more information, visit www.air4h.org.