The roar of the crowd was deafening as the six robots on the field jumped to life in autonomous mode at VCU’s Siegel center on March 21st. After 10 seconds, a bell rang and the students stepped into the drivers box and the robots were-switched to tele-op. The drivers were in control of their team’s robot and competed for the remainder of the round (two minutes and 30 seconds). The object of the game is to pick up your team’s yoga ball and throw it through a nine foot goal using a robot that the teams had six weeks to design. On the field, the robots can look deceivingly nimble, when in reality the machines weigh over a hundred pounds.

HHS’s team did not however succeed in placing high at the competition, ending up finishing 56th out of 64 teams. This was due to several problems at the tournament including the robot being damaged on the field. The team also had a hard time getting started at the beginning of the season because they did not plan effectively and had little funds.

Even though the competition was just last week, the team is already starting to prepare for next season. Primarily, they are focusing on making sure they have enough money for next year. Mr. Estes, one of the team’s mentors, shared his insight on the competition and plans looking onward towards the next year.

“What we have to do is to evaluate our strategic plan encompassing all aspects — including fund raising team responsibilities and our organisations,” Estes said. “[Over all] I am proud of the team. I can’t say that they did not work hard. We just had an off season.”