WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) — One hundred high school teams from across New England are competing at the Eastern States Exposition for the NE FIRST District Robotics Championship. Among them is Agawam-based Rosie Robotics, looking to go back-to-back as the best in New England.
Inside the Eastern States Exposition, the air is filled with the sound of power tools and cheering fans. This year’s challenge is called Rebuilt, an archaeology-themed game where robots must scramble to collect fuel and climb towers.
For the defending champions, the pressure is on. “It was like starstruck. I still can’t imagine that we won that. I think all of us just looked at each other and were like, ‘Wait, we actually did that?’” said Kylie Henry, a junior on Rosie Robotics.
To win again, Rosie Robotics had to rethink everything. This year’s robot, named Zulu, had to be smaller and faster to fit under a 22-inch trench on the field. “This year is a lot more of a scramble, so just looking at the strategy and how to design a robot to handle such a kind of a messier game has been a challenge,” said Vincent Barrett, a junior on the team.
The students spend nearly 25 hours a week in their Agawam shop, on top of being honor students and athletes. “These kids are our future,” said Wendy Rua, lead mentor. “They learn very quickly how to balance and juggle things that are really important to them. As one of the students just said, they become a family.”
The team said the real win is the family they’ve built and the skills they’ll take into the real world. The competition runs through Saturday and is free for the public to attend.
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