INDIANAPOLIS - Some metropolitan area high school students stepped up to the plate to take on a new challenge this summer. It all culminated on the pitcher's mound at Victory Field.
Joseph Chastain and Matt Goelz are seniors at Perry Meridian High School, working on their fourth robot in four years. The ones they've helped build for their school's robotics club have earned high marks in national competitions.
"This one won in Washington D.C. and was a finalist at Purdue and this one won Purdue and was a finalist at Smokey Mountain and Wisconsin," Goelz said.
The robots have been engineered to compete in unique competitions against other high schools, but over the summer, students with Cyber Blue 234 put together their latest creation.
"When you flip the switch to shoot, the lights will signal yellow, yellow, red and then the ball will fire," said Chastain.
This one would make its debut at a baseball game.
While the Perry Meridian H.S. students have designed more than a dozen robots over the years, this would be the first robot designed to take the mound at Victory Field and deliver the opening pitch.
"Not nervous. We've tested it quite thoroughly and we're pretty confident the pitch thrown out will be spectacular," said Chastain.
Team members unveiled the robot nicknamed Lefty Circuits. The club's mentor says it's yet another example of students rising up to another technological challenge.
"These students come in to high school in ninth grade, going "I don't know what I want to do in university, engineering,' but they don't know what an engineer is, then they join this team and they see electrical engineering, mechanical engineering. They get exposed to civil engineering, design and computer programmers," said Lloyd Gough.
The robot delivered a perfect strike at around 45 miles an hour. The Indians' mascot, "Rowdie," had a little trouble handling the heat, but it was mission accomplished and Lefty headed to the dugout. It was the first time in Victory Field history a robot delivered the first pitch.
