First Tech Robotics Challenge

We were very fortunate that our BA robotics team reached the qualifying round of the First Tech Robotics Challenge for the third consecutive year. The team was truly groundbreaking, boasting the largest age diversity among all the teams, ranging from eager Year 7 students to experienced Sixth Formers. They planned and designed a robot to be effective in its components, many of which were built from reused and recycled materials. This approach not only conserved the cost of the completed robot but also greatly reduced the team’s carbon footprint. By using recycled materials, they were able to innovate and create effective methods, making the team the most eco-friendly overall.

On the day, they faced a large array of great teams, most of which had vast amounts of funding and technical support. They adapted quickly to the competition and pushed themselves to perform at their best. While there, they effectively marketed the team to secure an alliance, which was required to reach the play-off stage of the competition. When presenting to the judges, the team spoke eloquently, emphasising their fantastic achievement of reaching yet another year of the competition. During the league phase, they played well, executing their team plan flawlessly. After a few games, they managed to climb to 2nd place in the entire competition after an extremely competitive round. They eventually finished high enough in the league to qualify for the play-offs. After the second knockout game, they were unfortunately beaten by one of the favourites for the competition. They networked well with other teams and learned valuable insights on how to improve the team overall. It was a great experience for all members, especially the younger ones, who learned a great deal of detailed and technical engineering concepts. Older members had the opportunity to apply their STEM knowledge and skills. Overall, the competition was a fantastic way for students to dive into the world of STEM and robotics.