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E-Bots PiThons will take on the world in Kentucky by Ian Holroyd Special to the Beaver 19 | Friday, April 10, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com The robot springs to life and takes off down the table with a single-minded determination, motors whirring, gears turning and sensors sensing. The complex machine is programmed to gobble up red, blue and green cubes, sort them by colour and stack them in specific locations on the playing surface. But this autonomous creation will go beyond its programming when it takes a group of Oakville middle school students to a top global robotics competition in the United States later this month. The 2015 Vex World Robotics Championship is taking place from April 15 to 18 in Louisville, Ky. More than 800 teams from all around the globe are expected to compete in this year's tournament. Oakville's E-Bots PiThons earned a birth into this prestigious competition by winning top spot at the Ontario Vex IQ Challenge held recently in St. Catharines. John Catricala, the owner of E-bots and The E-Bots PiThons Ontario's VEX IQ Challenge robotics team of middle school students from Oakville includes, from left, James Cowan, Ruchira Gupta, Jada Gowanlock, Omkar Patel, Nathaniel Eichhorn, Tommy Moffat, Ethan Childerhose and Zach McKennedy. | photo by Eric Riehl ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) mentor of the PiThons, expects big things as his protégés step out onto the world stage. "These guys here don't even realize it but their robot is so good, at the worlds, they're going to be approached by every team out there going `How did you guys do this?'" Catricala said, excitedly waving his hands. E-Bots, an educational robotics centre in Oakville, has a history of fielding strong robotics teams. In its seven years in existence, E-Bots has amassed a collection of trophies that line the office wall. "These are students that would have probably been more introverted," Catricala explains. "Now, they've turned around and for an instant in time they're rock stars." This year's VEX IQ Challenge is called Highrise. The object of the game is to gain the most points by moving the red, blue or green scoring cubes into the scoring zone and stack cubes of the same colour, creating a highrise. Each cube in the highrise multiplies the points of corresponding coloured cubes in the scoring zone. These tasks have to be completed in 60 seconds. see New on p.27 905-829-1040 www.bombaybhelrestaurant.com Indian Cuisine Do you have the CorreCt insuranCe Coverage? CNJ INsuraNCe & rIsk MaNageD solutIoNs Inc. has The soluTions! Jon-Paul Deerin · Home Owners Insurance · Small Business Insurance · Commercial Insurance · Automobile & Collector Cars Insurance · Wine & Art Collection Insurance BA, CRM, R.I.B (Ont.) Over 25 years Experience We are pleased to serve the Oakville area 2525 Hampshire Gate, Oakville, L6H 6C8 201-2150 Winston Park Dr., Oakville 905-829-0097 · jpdeerin@cnjins.com Beat the April 30th tax deadline! Ready to buy a New Car? Visit www.carcostcanada.com first. Canada's #1 resourCe for wholesale priCe reports. We'll show you all advertised & non-advertised factory incentives & discounts. File today! Visit our new locAtion in oAkVille 1515 Rebecca St. Corner of Rebecca & 3rd line "Formerly DiVersiFieD FinAnciAl serVices" 800-HRBloCk | HRBLOCK.CA we don't miss a thingTM Denis from Oakville saved over $3,500 with his CarCostCanada report. Call us at 289-813-3200