Robotics team ready for first action of season

The Sabre-HOOF Tigers are the residing FTC (First Tech Challenge) experts, and the team, composed of 11 high school students, faces its first FTC competition at the Grout Museum on Saturday, Oct. 29.

This fall on Monday and Thursday evenings, the group has determined its goals and split up to do them. The four main groups are Programming, Building, Engineering Notebook and Computer Aided Designing.

The robots have specific requirements to meet before competing. The robot must be under 18x18x18, and there are only so many motors and electronics that are allowed for use.

During each meet, it is important that robots are checked for any loose or missing parts. “One loose wire or a syntax error in the code can impede the entire robot’s functions,” junior Jacob King said.

As for the student satisfaction, freshman Ella Rekow said, “I like robotics because it is a way for me to build stuff while working in a very positive and competitive environment. I love the meets because everyone there is very competitive, yet they respect each other a great amount.”