Oakville Trafalgar High School Grade 12 student Nick Bandiera led the way recently at an international robotics competition where he, and only nine others in the world, received a special award.

From April 27-30, the Oakville Trafalgar Red Devils Robotics Team 1334 participated in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Championships in St Louis, Missouri where Bandiera was selected to the Dean's List, named after FIRST founder Dean Kamen. Bandiera competed with 3,500 other FIRST Dean's List nominees and was one of only 10 to receive this honour. His prizes included a Blackberry Torch and Playbook plus gift certificates and scholarship offers. Kamen and world-renowned musician will.i.am helped present Bandiera with his award. Afterward, award-winning group Black Eyed Peas, of which will.i.am is a member, entertained the 25,000 FIRST participants with an entertaining concert.

The robotics competition involves high-school students teaming up with the world’s best technology companies to build impressive robots. Built from scratch, these five-foot-tall, 140-pound robots compete in high intensity “robo-sports”. Having created a robot named HANK (Harbinger Of A New Kool), the Oakville Trafalgar students used it in a game in which the goal was to sink inflatable tubes into pegs.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils Robotics Team returned home with an impressive top 25 per cent finish in its division; the school competed against 88 teams. In total, 352 teams from the U.S., Canada (with 17 teams), Mexico, Israel and Australia took part in the FIRST championships. “FIRST Team 1334 members had a great time,” says George Chisholm, Retired Technology Teacher, FIRST Robotics Mentor, Team 1334 of the OTHS Red Devils. “This experience was a great opportunity to learn from other teams around the world.”

Robotics competition participation is becoming a popular activity in the Halton District School Board, with White Oaks, Oakville Trafalgar, Burlington Central, M.M. Robinson, Aldershot and Milton District high schools taking part in various events.

Previously, at the Waterloo Regional, Burlington Central won a Judge's Award, Oakville Trafalgar won the Engineering Inspiration Award. White Oaks advanced to the quarter-finals and Oakville Trafalgar the semi-finals; at the Greater Toronto West Regional, Oakville Trafalgar won the Creativity Award and were finalists in the competition. Burlington Central won the Coopertition Award (which recognizes professionalism during competition) and were quarter-finalists. Milton and Aldershot both made the quarter-finals; and at the Greater Toronto East Regional competition, M.M. Robinson won the Creativity Award and were quarter-finalists, while at the Virginia Regional competition, Burlington Central were quarter-finalists.