Grand Haven’s Robotics team will compete at the FIRST Robotics State Finals at Saginaw Valley State University over Spring Break. The competition starts on Thurs. April 4, and ends on Sat. April 6.
“This year, we have orange 14-inch discs that the robot has to pick up, and then we shoot it into a high goal,” said senior Mitchell Koetsier. “Our goal is to hopefully make it to worlds in Houston, Texas.”
The Bucs competed at Districts last week at Grand Valley State University. Around 40 teams competed, and the team took 2nd place overall.
“Our team is small, so everyone gets involved and learns something new,” said Koetsier. “Sometimes it’s overwhelming. But then you get involved, and you try new things. Even after doing it for three years, I’m still learning a lot every day.”
Scoring is split into 2 modes: Autonomous Mode (first 15 seconds) in which robots operate only on pre-programmed instructions to score points, and Teleoperated Mode (remaining 135 seconds) in which drivers take control of the robots at the ends of the field.
“Going to competitions is one of the most positive atmospheres I’ve ever been in,” said sophomore Adam Fox. “You can talk to almost anyone, and they will interact with you. It’s hectic, but it’s a really fun process.”
The Bucs have been practicing weekly from 6:30 to 8:30 in room 2102 since the beginning of the year and will continue until the season ends.
“Programming is a lot of trial and error,” said Fox. “It’s finding different ways to test out things, coming up with things that could go wrong, and then figuring out how to fix it. It’s honestly really fun. We have to be really precise, and it’s a lot of math.”