Octobots Robotics Advances in FIRST Robotics Competition
Goleta, CA – Dos Pueblos High School’s Octobots Robotics Team 9084 demonstrated strong performance at the FIRST Robotics District Competition held March 6-8 in Port Hueneme, California, securing a top-10 ranking among 42 competing high school teams. Noozhawk and The Independent reported on the team’s success.
Competition Performance and Strategy
The Octobots achieved tenth place in the qualifying matches, earning them the position of alliance team captain in the semi-finals. Despite a strong effort, the team was eliminated in the second round of the semi-finals. This competition was the first of two district events for the Octobots this season, with the next scheduled for March 27-29 in Glendale, California. Success in these competitions could lead to a spot at the State Championships.
Team captain Zeo Pereira, a senior at Dos Pueblos High School, highlighted the team’s ambitious design choices. “We are really proud of our ambitious design this season. We chose a more mechanically complex robot architecture which plays into our strategy,” Pereira stated. A significant challenge for the team was adhering to the robot’s weight restriction of 115 pounds, balancing agility, consistency, and precision with a lightweight build.
Team Ranking and Recognition
Octobots Robotics is currently ranked in the top 6% of FIRST Robotics teams in the United States, holding the 312th position out of 2,976 teams. The Independent reported this ranking. Last year, the team received the “Excellence in Engineering Award” and the “Rising All-Star Award” from FIRST Robotics.
About Octobots Robotics
Octobots Robotics meets in the wood shop at Dos Pueblos High School. During the build season (January-May), meetings are held Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 6-9pm, and Saturdays from 10am-6pm. Team Octobots also operates in an off-season period (June-December) with meetings on Mondays from 6-9pm, focusing on planning, training, outreach, and fundraising.
Resources
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