Robotics Team mechanic Jack Stuart (left) and lead 3D designer Michael Tenner (right), seniors, work together on the team’s competition robot for the upcoming Jan. 27, 2024 Qualifying Tournament on Nov. 13. After dozens of modifications to the design, Tenner has felt the pressure of the upcoming competition. “(I’m feeling) nervous. If we can’t get a robot ready in time for it, then that’s kind of our last good opportunity to get ahead,” Tenner said. “We’re gonna be showing up over the break. It’s gonna be a lot of extra hours overtime.” Photo by Evan Cornish
The CCHS Robotics Team is gearing up for their final meet on Jan. 9 before their Qualifying Tournament on Jan. 27.
The Clarke Central High School Robotics Team will attend their final meet at Oconee High School on Jan. 9 in preparation for the state Qualifying Tournament at the Empower College and Career Center in Jefferson High School on Jan. 27.
The Jan. 9 meet, where the team will guide their robot through tasks like placing pixels on a scoreboard, is the final opportunity for teams to make updates to their robots before the Qualifying Tournament. The CCHS robot ranked between third and eighth place in its division, and underwent dozens of changes for its various components.
“As the seniors, we’re really in charge of this robot and we’ve had a lot of difficulties (with) figuring out what direction to take the robot in,” Robotics Team lead engineer Luke Miller, a senior, said. “The past meets, we’ve been changing up designs quite heavily, but we’re pretty proud of our ranking for how (many) design changes have been going on.”
“As the seniors, we’re really in charge of this robot and we’ve had a lot of difficulties (with) figuring out what direction to take the robot in. The past meets, we’ve been changing up designs quite heavily, but we’re pretty proud of our ranking for how (many) design changes have been going on.”
— Luke Miller,
Robotics Team lead engineer
Chris Sugiuchi, Career, Technical and Agricultural Education department teacher and Robotics Team sponsor, feels that the Robotics Team has more to learn and improve before the Qualifying Tournament.
“(A goal is) definitely (having) all the parts of our robot functioning,” Sugiuchi said. “(We need to) work on the autonomous mode, which is something we have not been able to successfully implement. (However, our) goals are just to keep learning and keep moving forward.”
According to Miller, as the Qualifying Tournament nears, the team is looking forward to the high-stakes competition.
“The main part of robotics is having a teammate that you can work together (with, and) in January (we’re) gonna have the (tournament), which is for all the marbles,” Miller said. “It’s gonna have the playoff games to decide who goes to state, so this is definitely going to be a big moment for the team.”
