The start of a Dynasty

Showcasing the robotics team’s journey to the top

Alex Duer duerale000@hsestudents.org

On Saturday April 8, while most students were wrapping up spring break, the Fishers Robotics team, known as Tiger Dynasty, captured their first state title in the program’s history. As the third seed in the tournament, the team placed their robot on the balance board with time winding down to win in an upset fashion, clinching not only a state title, but also an invitation to world championships in Houston, Texas from April 19 to 22.

Looking back, the first official step towards this achievement was taken on Jan. 7, when the organization For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) released the theme of this year’s competition, titled ‘Charged Up’, along with its rules and guidelines.

“[This year] you have to design a robot that is able to place cones and pieces onto what is called the grid structure,” senior Austin Lika said. “There are low nodes where you can push pieces in, and after that there are middle and high, and you have to build a robot that can reach [them].”

With the theme in mind, the team got straight to work on designing and putting together the bot.

“As a team, you basically have a month to build and design the robot,” sophomore Max Probala said. “The robot is computer-designed in a program called Onshape, and once [it] is fully designed, we can use the measurements to cut the correct pieces.”

Then, once that process is taken care of, Probala’s job is to step in and wire up specific parts of the bot including the electrical and pneumatic systems.

“I add the motor controllers to the robot along with all [of] the other components that make the robot connect to a computer,” Probala said.

Once the bot is hooked up and programmed, the bot is then ready to be utilized for driver practice. While the robot can be tested frequently at school, competitions bring an added level of pressure according to junior Brandon Ogawa.

“It can be hard, [as] it is a lot of split-second decisions on the field because you have no idea what is going to happen.” Ogawa said. “In one match, everything could be working perfectly fine, and then all of a sudden your controls are backwards and you have to drive backwards.”

Akin to a starting bell, the call of a trumpet starts each round of competition. For the first 15 seconds, the group must solely rely on their code and field knowledge to score points. Then, the drivers take over, seeking to score as many points as possible.

“The game is split into different phases,” Lika said. “In the first fifteen seconds the robot is completely automated, [and] it is worth more to do stuff during autonomous. During tele-op is when our drivers place pieces from the substation. The last phase is endgame, and from there, the charge station is enabled. Teams can climb up and get points, or can keep scoring.”

After months of hard work, practice and competition, the team will get one more chance to go out and compete on the world stage in Houston. Besides the joy of winning competitions, Probala believes robotics has helped him outside of the team.

“What I have learned in robotics is real world skills, like working under pressure and creating your own solution to a problem.” Probala said. “You have a game/problem that needs to be solved and you have to weigh the negatives and positives of a solution and go with the best one.”

Although their season is coming to a close, for those interested in joining next year the robotics team is open to anyone that is in good academic standing and can make the time commitment.

“I started my freshman year, [and] I have loved it,” Ogawa said. “If you love to see your designs come to life, have a competitive spirit, and love STEM, robotics would be great for you.”