Cyber Knights Looking to Ride 'Odd Job' to National Championship

The game is tough, the competition fierce and the alliances crucial to success; but the Southington Cyber Knights may have all the tools they need this year to ride the wave in St. Louis and take home the 2013 FIRST Robotics Championship and bragging rights as "best in the world."

The Cyber Knights, Team 195, have a history of success that continued in 2013 as their robot "Odd Job" helped deliver the team a third consecutive Connecticut Regional title and helped position the Southington High School team for the national spotlight.

But unlike years past, the Cyber Knights may be entering with a target on their back due to recent success that includes achieving one of the highest Offensive Power Rating, or OPRs, in long distance scoring and earning a ranking as the FRC Top 25 webcast’s 18th best robotics team.

That doesn’t mean they aren’t prepared.

"We know teams have been watching and scouting us, but we have a plan," said Charlee Lefkovich, scouting and strategy lead for the Cyber Knights. “We have improved and changed our strategy; there is a surprise factor in what we are going to bring.”

See the complete video highlight of the competition, provided by Lead Programmer Kyle Sposato, in the video above or by clicking the link provided.

It’s been a long road leading to the championship, one that began last summer when members of the programming and drive teams first began developing ideas and working with the newest members in preparation for this year’s competition, according to Cyber Knights Drive Team Coach Nick Brino and Lead Programmer Kyle Sposato.

Long before the 2013 FRC competition was announced, one that involved building a robot to score points through climbing or using a Frisbee to score points, Brino said team members were working on the kinks on numerous ideas.

These steps are necessary, he said, in preparing and developing a robot that can take on a variety of tasks and allow the team to work quickly over the six weeks once the rules of the competition were announced.

“One thing we did this year was prototyping,” Brino said. “We looked at a wide variety of designs in a short period, would put ideas together than start over and do it again. It was amazing how we were able to do it, and it got the newer kids involved early and helped them get over the nerves that come with this type of competition.”

And with that work, “Odd Job” - named after the popular bond movie character - was born.

After that, both Brino and Sposato said the key to success was “practice, practice and more practice.”

Gino and Sandra Brino, adult advisors to the Cyber Knights, said the team has been fortunate to collaborate with others across the state, sharing their practice facility along South Main Street in Plantsville with teams in Meriden, Waterbury, Windsor Locks, Shelton and eight others. In fact, their sportsmanship led the team to receive the Gracious Host Award in 2013 at the Connecticut competition.

Going into St. Louis this week – the team will arrive in Missouri by mid-afternoon Wednesday – Gino Brino said the ultimate goal will be to use their talent and experience to their advantage in hopefully earning the title of division champion for the Newton division, a goal they haven’t reached since 2006, and hopefully bringing Southington its first ever robotics national championship.

Watch the competition live by clicking the link provided. The Cyber Knights will begin competition on Thursday at 1:05 p.m. Watch live now!

“We are going to need to come into the competition ready to think outside the box,” Gino Brino said. “Sometimes the straight answer isn’t the most competitive one.”

To win, Lefkovich and Sandra Brino each said the Cyber Knights have to rely heavily on the data-driven statistics and take advantage of their strengths and the strengths of their alliance members.

“This year, more than any other year, there’s an emphasis placed on data,” Lefkovich said. “The way the game is set-up, the only way to win is to score and it matters more than it has in the past. That’s why our strategy will be so important.”

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