Team History

Team OzRam was formally created during the 2005-2006 season. Hopkinton High School 'Project Lead the Way' instructor, Will Renauld, tried many times to start a robotics team, only to fall short of financial funding. Conversations with Cathy Mayne, a Kearsarge school counselor whose son attended John Stark, led to the creation of a cooperative team between Hopkinton and John Stark high schools to solve the money issue. Sponsorship from Osram Sylvania ensured that the team would be able to meet financial requirements for competition. The team performed well during their first year, and attended the 2006 championship in Atlanta as a rookie All-Star team. Over the years, Team OzRam has received generous financial support to continue its participation. Phillip Reeder's company, MicroDAQ.com, provided much needed support for the team during its third year, and Mr. Reeder has been an active mentor on the team ever since. Each year the team has built a reliable robot that is specialized to perform a certain task. Team Oz-Ram is quickly evolving from an upstart team to a respected veteran on the playing field. Even after students graduate from high school, many continue to serve as mentors on the team during their spare time. New members and mentors join the team every year.

Team OzRam 05-06

Our rookie year might have to be described as 'Ignorance is Bliss'. In two days we had assembled our chassis and thought, "man we are almost done". The next five weeks and five days would be our FIRST journey up the Yellow Brick Road. Although our robot was called the Tin Man we nicknamed it the "Wheels of Death" because the ball we were projecting was shot like a pitching machine. It shook, rattled and nearly took out the judges and their table in autonomous mode. Despite the lack of construction precision, the Tin Man performed well and our team was awarded the Rookie All Star award at the BAE Granite State Regional. Atlanta or bust, with no money or clue we made it to the championships. It was an awesome experience.

Team OzRam 06-07

Filled with confidence from our rookie year we decided to build the "all around robot". Weight became a factor and we had to scale back on our ideas. Gone was the ramp which now hangs on our wall of fame with other concepts that did not make it on to the Tin Man. Drivers went into the BAE System's Granite State Regional with little practice. As the competition progressed, so did their driving skills. It was not until our second regional in Boston that the team and the Tin Man reached full potential. In an exciting semi-final round the teams went the distance but we were eliminated after 3 very competitive matches. However, this was a year for awards. The team won two Imagery Awards and a regional website award.

Team OzRam 07-08

This year was known to our robotics team as the year robotics met NASCAR. We designed our robot to drive up to the overpass at which time it would fire off the piston mounted to it. We called this piston Big Bubba. This giant piston would knock the ball off without the slightest bit of trouble. Our robot would then drive up to the ball, slide its "tusks" underneath the ball and deploy its hoop upon the ball. We would then continue to run around the track and then, using its giant mast, lift the ball back onto the overpass and place the ball on it. This year was by far one of our more successful years. The robot was designed and built well and along with two experienced drivers it gave us a great year and a great learning experience.

Team OzRam 08-09

We began this season by attending the launch in Manchester and jumped right in that night with what we wanted our robot to do. We wanted it to shoot balls, one at a time, and to be able to collect balls and to use its camera to focus on opposing teams' trailers. We received a grant from NASA which made many things possible, including attending a second regional competition in Florida. We quickly learned at our first competition that while our ideas worked, they were not the best ideas for playing, and winning the game. However, we didn't let that get to us, and we had great times at the Manchester and Florida regionals. We even got to see the NASA launch of the last piece of the International Space Station. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we all but forgot our mostly unsuccessful season.

Team OzRam 09-10

We began this season by looking at what we should have done last season. We knew that our big mistake was that we decided on what we wanted the robot to do, rather than figure out the best way to play the game, and then build from that. We spent the entire first week deciding how to play the game. We decided that what would be best was to be able to go under the tunnel and to push and kick the soccer balls. We also thought that a great amount of maneurverability would be good. The final design unanimously decided was a small, maneuverable robot that could kick and push the ball as well as go under the tunnel and over the bumps, if required. We jumped right in and had a prototype and a very good robot in about two weeks.This robot Tin Man V was very successful. It came in second place at BAE Granite State Regional and won the Boston Regional. It made it to the semi finals of the Newton Division during the championship in Atlanta. Not only was our robot an excellent Breakaway competitor, it was durable enough to still work well during our offseason events.

Team OzRam 10-11

As with last year, we looked at the game very carefully before deciding what kind of robot to build. We have decided to build a robot capable of grabbing and hanging tubes as well as deploying a minibot. Unfortunately, a multitude of snow days have made it difficult to hold meetings to build the robot. However, we are keeping our spirits high as the build season progresses.

Team OzRam 11-12

Still in progress. You'll find out soon enough.