By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

Middletown High's Rob Palmer, 16, points to his team's robot as teammate Justin Teager, 15, watches during Tech Challenge 2001 at Miami University's Middletown Campus on Friday. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

MIDDLETOWN - When Travis Burtrum put his team's robot on the course Friday, it wanted to turn right, though it needed to go left.

During the seven minutes his team was allotted, the 8-inch by 8-inch, four-wheeled robot never finished the course.

But that didn't faze the Bishop Fenwick High School team in the school's first year of Lego Robotics competition, held at Miami University's Middletown Campus as part of Tech Challenge 2003.

"I think we learned a lot this year," said Burtrum, a junior. "We might have to spend more time after school to get it right."

The team was one of 15 competing, representing 11 Greater Cincinnati high schools. Each had to build a robot using a Lego Mindstorm kit, program it and then run it on the course.

Students were given a paper layout of the obstacle course in advance so they could program their robot to complete the course. The plexiglass and wood course used in competition included right angles, an oblong center and a ramp.

Carlisle High School team No. 1 had better luck than Fenwick's. Its robot completed the course in 5 minutes and 26 seconds. The team's best time, however, was during practice sessions, when the course was completed in only 48 seconds.

Last year Carlisle's team came in first place. On Friday, Lakota West's team won, with a time of 1 minute, 5 seconds. Team members were Colin McCloy and Brian Friske.

Besides robotics, the 300 students who attended the half-day tech fair competed in Web designs and multimedia/video presentations.