Some families consider ‘quality family time’ to be a day at the park. Or popping popcorn and renting a movie. Or a trek to the zoo. But for the Moutinho family in Maine, ‘quality family time’ means building robots and winning competitions.
It all began when the daughter of TIer Thomas Moutinho asked if he would come with her to a meeting about the robotics team at Falmouth and Gorham High School. Seeing it as a chance to hang out with his daughter, Thomas jumped at the opportunity.
From there, Thomas became a mentor, working alongside his daughter in the FIRST Robotics Competitions. The two had so much fun, the following year Thomas’ son joined the team. Four years after that, Thomas’ third child joined the squad and his wife became a coach.
While you can classify what the Moutinhos do together as ‘quality family time,’ they’ve also gotten pretty good at their craft. Their team is officially named FRC Team 172, but they call themselves the Northern Force. The robot they built can toss Frisbees, climb towers and defend itself. The robot is so impressive it earned a spot in the FIRST Championship in St. Louis, Mo.
To see the FRC Team 172 robot in action here: (Please visit the site to view this video)
So the team packed their bags, loaded up in a bus, and headed west for the Edward Jones Super Dome in St. Louis (that’s where the NFL’s St. Louis Rams play). The FIRST Championship brings more than 10,000 students from all over the world to compete, according to the FIRST Robotics Competition website.
"The energy level of everyone in the Edward Jones Super Dome was incredible," Thomas said. "The program has such a positive influence on so many students by exposing them to STEM. There are only 14 teams in Maine, and we need so many more."
Northern Force worked in alliances with two other teams over four days of competition. While the team didn’t win, they learned some valuable lessons.
"We're happy to be here," said Joey Moutinho, age 15. "Being on this team has taught us to be ambitious and to give it all you can."
What started as an opportunity to spend some ‘quality family time’ for the Moutinhos turned into a family obsession, a trip to St. Louis and maybe a look into what the future might hold for the Moutinhos’ three children.
Thomas’ daughter just graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a degree in chemical engineering on May 11 and will be going on for her PhD in environmental engineering at Georgia Tech in the fall.
"It is clear to me that this program is producing the next generation of engineers and leaders who will be solving some of our most difficult future problems," Thomas said.