Sparks flying, keys clacking, the robot is already starting to take shape.
The Robotics Club is, well, a club that makes robots. The robots are made over a long period of time, and require a lot of work and dedication from club members. With only two months left until their tournament season begins, the pressure is on to get their robot built and programmed.
Gearing up for tournament season, they meet almost everyday, in the Tech Ed shop and computer room, only taking a break on Monday most weeks.
The Robotics Club, or as they have named themselves, the Space Raiders, is a club with more depth and intricacy than some may give it credit for, but it does seem to pay off.
For the past two years, our own Space raiders have been victorious, having won fifth place with their alliance, or a group of multiple different teams, two years ago and earning 47th place in their division last year, both instances occurring at world championships.
“My first year was pretty useless on the team, but I learned a lot from just being [there] during the scene,” said senior Max Abitante when asked about how new members are trained. “In my sophomore year I was able to do a lot more.”
Teamwork is a huge part of the Robotics Club and the whole robotics community in general, because it’s not as simple as beating the other teams. “It’s a system where you have to collaborate with other teams,”
said sophomore Marvin Chen, part of the strategy team in the Robotics Club. He says that the strategy team must keep an eye out for what their team may need improvement with, and what opposing teams are doing well so that they can counteract the opposition.
But inside the team, there is nothing but support, and both November and December are set aside for training new members. Chen, when asked about what the club was like, responded with “It’s a great environment!”
The members “always try to help you”, which is especially helpful when you are learning how to not cut off your finger in the shop when making the robot, and .
With the District Championships less than two months away, the team is working very hard to complete their robot to accomplish this year’s scenario for the tournaments, called Deep Space. In this scenario, the robots will have to be able to throw objects into containers high up, fill “spaceships” with balls, and be able to place hatches and walls.
But for right now, according to Chen, the Space Raiders are focusing on “trying to win a few awards” to ensure their place in the World Championship, and hopefully, to bring home the gold.
(picture from the Space RAIDers website)