The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo announced the winners of the 11th annual Agriculture Robotics Competition.
The winners are as follows:
Senior division winners:
• 1st – Lynn County 4-H, “Team KLAM”
• 2nd – Montgomery County 4-H, “Tech Tonic”
• 3rd – Montgomery County 4-H, “50% Curly”
Junior division winners:
• 1st – Brazos County 4-H, “Fire Wire”
• 2nd – Hooks FFA, “Hooks FFA Junior Team”
• 3rd – Alpha Omega Academy FFA, “Alpha Omega Blue
This year’s contest drew 39 teams and 163 contestants. The contest consisted of seven challenges focused on the oil refining process through to the farm. For this contest, contestants had to build and program robots to move, maneuver attachments, lift, and distribute and pick up items.
A top score is calculated using first and final-round scores. Each team participated in two, three-minute rounds, with the top five teams from both the junior and senior divisions advancing to the finals.
“The Agriculture Robotics Contest is one that we are so proud to host every year,” the president and CEO of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Chris Boleman said. “To see Texas students engage in this realm of the agriculture industry is so important for the next generation of experts.”
“CITGO shares the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s commitment to fostering a love for math and science from an early age,” said Kresha Sivinski, Vice President, Human Resources and Corporate Services for CITGO Petroleum Corporation. “Events like the robotics competition make STEM learning fun and encourage students to explore career paths critical to the future of the energy industry.”
The first contest was held in 2014 and is a friendly competition meant to expose youth to the diversity of the agriculture industry.
