Marquette Area robotics team eyes state competition

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - A new Marquette area robotics team is making strides, setting its eyes on the state competition.

The Binary Crows robotics team was formed last year. The team has one more competition before the state competition at Saginaw Valley State University in two weeks.

The team has scored enough points so far that it’s very likely they will make the state competition.

12th Grade Homeschool Student David Birkmaier says the road to success has been a process of trial and error.

“A lot of ways not to build something, which eventually gets you to a way to build something,” Birkmaier said.

The team is open to students in the community and is made up of Marquette Senior High School students, 8th graders and homeschoolers.

Concerning the team’s name “Binary Crows”, Marquette Senior High School 11th grader Boyne Gregg says that binary has obvious ties to robotics, but that “crow” is more symbolic.

“They remember locations where crows have died and they don’t want to return there,” Gregg said. “So, I guess you could think of that as symbolism for our team’s growth.”

Gregg says the team is already dreaming beyond states.

“My personal main dream is just to get to worlds, not even necessarily to be the best there, but just to see it,” said Gregg. “Because in previous robotics programs I’ve never been on a team that’s made it farther than the first competitions, so getting up to that high level I think would just be my biggest dream.”

Because Binary Crows is a new robotics team, the team has had to do its own fundraising over the last months in addition to receiving grant funding.

If you’d like to donate to the Binary Crows, a non-profit, you can find the team’s GoFundMe here.

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