SR1 Robotics Team Kicks Off New Season

It’s that time of year again—the 2021–2022 FIRST Robotics season has officially begun! On Saturday, September 18, SR1 Scholars gathered at the SR1 office to learn about this year’s competition and to dive into the engineering process. Guided by SR1 alum and Robotics Coach Kia Graham, students explored how Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical engineering skills are applied in everyday life by labeling items in the office and analyzing components from last year’s robot.

SR1 Scholars learning about the differences between civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering.

Before the competition reveal, students worked through a hands-on challenge: designing a way for a robot to transport a soccer ball from point A to point B. This exercise introduced them to the steps of the engineering design process, preparing them to brainstorm and build for the season ahead.

SR1 Scholars work through the hypothetical scenario.

This year’s challenge, Freight Frenzy!, is centered around the theme of logistics. In the kickoff video, FIRST Tech Challenge Program Director Ken Johnson emphasized that the next generation of engineers will be instrumental in developing innovative solutions for the world’s transportation and supply chain systems. The details of this year’s competition can be found here.

SR1’s Robotics team is excited to rise to the challenge and looks forward to another year of creativity, teamwork, and competition!