On April
17th-19th, we went to the World Championship in Houston! We
competed in the Roebling Division
along with 66 other teams. At the World Championship, we had the opportunity to
play with teams from many different places, including Texas, California,
Louisiana, and Georgia, and even international teams from countries such as New
Zealand and China.
During the
qualification matches, we stuck to our tried and true strategy of scoring
cargo, climbing, and playing defense. Although we faced a few issues with our
climber in our first few matches, we were able to climb fairly consistently by
Friday.
Saturday
was dedicated to alliance selections and elimination matches. The #7 seed, WHEA
Sharkbots (3881) selected us along with fellow PNW team I.R.S., also known as
the Issaquah Robotics Society (1318), and the Full Metal Jackets (1296).
Although we lost in the quarterfinals, it was a great honor to play with these
teams and with luck we’ll see them again next year!
After the
quarterfinals, we stayed and watched other teams, many whom we have admired for
years. It was truly amazing to see these powerhouse teams play in person,
including in the finals at Minute Maid Park, and definitely one of the
highlights of the trip! We would also like to congratulate one of our friends
from Bellevue, the Newport Robotics Group (948), for reaching the Einstein
finals!
On the
last full day of our trip, we visited the Johnson Space Center! This gave us
the unique opportunity to see NASA’s rockets and equipment, as well as the
Robonauts’ (118) workspace in person.
Overall,
this was a very special trip. Going to Worlds was a very valuable experience
for not only competing and learning but also having fun and enjoying time
together as a team. This has been a magical season and we are looking forward
to next year, determined to replicate and build upon the successes we have
accomplished so far.
GO
ROBOTOTES!!!