The Garrett County team, Herding Cats, consisting of Dustin DeBerry, Galloway Goodwin, and Jett DeWitt recently competed at the Maryland State Fair in the State 4-H Robotics Challenge REC (Robotic Engineering Challenge). The State 4-H Robotics Challenge features a new game each year that requires 4-H members to build a robot to complete specific tasks. The team built a robot approximately 12″ X 12″ X 12″ to be able to collect wiffle balls and score them in a 12″ tall goal. The Herding Cats team came in 2nd place in the Senior Division. The team is coached by Phil Malone and Arlene Lantz. Phil and Arlene also helped to set up for the competition and run the competition. Willie Lantz, the AgFS educator from Garrett County, serves as the MD State Fair Robotics Superintendent. Willie also managed the LEGO portion of the state fair competition.
For more information on the Maryland State 4-H Robotic Challenges go to: https://extension.umd.edu/programs/4-h-youth-development/program-areas/stem/. If you are interested in participating in robotics programs, call the Extension Office at 301-334-6960.
