FHS’s robotics team Hackbots is preparing for yet another competitive season, bringing both experience and new ideas to continue the triumph of previous years.
With weeks of preparation already behind them, the team started off their season with a first place win this past weekend in a regional competition, also earning the Engineering Inspiration Award at the Jackson, MI event.
Junior Ian Gibbens, who has been in Hackbots for three years, first joined as a way to stay connected with friends. However, Gibbens found that the hands-on experience set robotics apart from other school activities.
“We’re using big machinery, and then we’re designing actual robots that get to go and compete,” Gibbens said. “It feels so big that this is something we get to do at the high school level.”
Hackbots is made up of several different subgroups, allowing students to contribute in many different ways. From mechanical, electrical, and programming teams to business and impact groups, each member contributes to the whole group’s success.
“There’s a lot of different roles,” Gibbens said. “Every subgroup has leadership, and there are even teams focused on marketing and community service.”
As the season approaches, competitions are a major focus, since they are opportunities to showcase their work and see the work of other schools.
“At states, there’s 160 teams from Michigan, and at worlds, there’s 600 teams from around the world,” Gibbens said. “It’s really fun, kind of stressful, and you get to learn a lot from other teams.”
Similar to Gibbens, junior Madeline Parakh, who has been in Hackbots for three years, has been eagerly preparing for the season.
“Our build season starts in January, and we’ve been working on the robot for about nine weeks,” Parakh said. “I’m really excited to see our strategies actually play out at competitions.”
Competitions require strong teamwork as different teams work together in alliances to beat the opposing alliance.
“You have three teams on each alliance, and they collaborate to find the best way to compete,” Parakh said. “Alliances make up their strategies and hopefully win.”
Looking towards the rest of the season, Parakh has high hopes for the Hackbots success.
“I’d love to win,” she said. “Winning impact awards, especially at the world level, would be really big for our team.”
Beyond competition, Hackbots has a sense of community within the team. No matter the group or the goal, students are able to connect and grow together.
“You’re either building a robot together, [or] working on the computers together,” Parakh said. “You’re all working together and creating something.”
As the new season begins, the Hackbots hope to continue their success and make it far in this upcoming competitive season.
