​Kinetic Knights are finalists at Ontario District robotics competition in Scarborough on the weekend

The Kinetic Knights (FRC Team 781) of Kincardine brought home finalist medals from the Ontario District robotics competition held at Centennial College in Scarborough, Friday and Saturday.

This year’s “Reefscape” challenge was part of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) program and drew 29 teams to compete in a game that saw robots placing coral on the reef and removing algae and throwing it into a barge, and then climbing a cage at the end.

Team 781 left Kincardine, Thursday afternoon, and battled blowing and drifting snow to arrive at the event in Scarborough, loading in its robot for the competition.

Following opening ceremonies, Friday morning, with MC Karthik Kanagasabapathy of FIRST Canada, the qualifying matches were under way. Each robot worked in an alliance with two other robots to complete the challenge in a round-robin fashion.



The FRC Team 781 robot competes in qualifying matches at the Ontario District robotics competition at Centennial College in Scarborough, Friday

The Kinetic Knights and their alliance set the bar high in their first match, winning by a score of 143-12. Qualifying matches continued through Saturday morning, and once the dust had settled, Team 781 was in sixth place.

In one match, the team’s robot ended up flipped on its side after being knocked over by another robot on the playing field.

During alliance selection, Team 781 joined Team 610, the Crescent Coyotes of Toronto, and Team 771, SWAT of Oakville, and headed into the double-elimination rounds.

Alliance 2 took on Alliance 7 and won, handily, 144-49; followed by a match against Alliance 3, which was another win, 126-74.

Then Alliance 2 took on the top guns, Alliance 1, and scored an incredible 146-137 win!

These two teams then faced off in the best-of-three final, with Alliance 1 taking the first game, 131-121, Alliance 2 taking the second game, 140-87, and the tie-breaker going to Alliance 1, by a close score of 146-136.



Team 781 and its Alliance 2 partners compete in the finals at the district robotics competition

The Kinetic Knights received the finalist medal, the highest achievement for Team 781 since it returned to competition following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Team 781 also won the Autonomous Award which goes to the team that has demonstrated consistent, reliable, high-performance robot operation during autonomously-managed actions. Evaluation is based on the robot’s ability to sense its surroundings, position itself or onboard mechanisms appropriately, and execute tasks. The autonomous portion of the match is the first 15 seconds when the robot acts on its own, as programmed.

Kinetic Knights mentor Mike Pierunek was also recognized as a Woodie Flowers award nominee at the event.



The Kinetic Knights and their Alliance 2 partners receive their finalist medals after the finals

The team’s next competition is March 27-29 in Windsor, and then on to the Ontario championships, April 2-5, in Mississauga. And if the team qualifies, it could be headed to the world championships in Houston, Texas, in mid-April.

Team 781 greatly appreciates its mentors, supporters and sponsors, particularly its major sponsors: Bruce Power, NPX, Kincardine Legion, McKechnie Pharmacy and Enbridge.

The Kinetic Knights Robotics Team – FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Team 781 - is a community youth robotics organization, open to young people, ages 13-19, in Kincardine. Currently, there are about 25 members and 12 mentors who focus on various aspects of team-building, as well as constructing a robot to enter in FIRST.

For more information, contact lead mentor, David Dadson, at dcdadson@live.com.



The Kinetic Knights' robot competes in qualifying matches at the Ontario District robotics competition at Centennial College in Scarborough, Saturday