Trobots to States...and Beyond!!

(2016 Trobots, with this year's robot, Leonardo, the Trojan Turtle.)

We are the Trobots from Whitmore Lake.  We are a team that participates in FIRST Robotics - combining hands-on training in technology and science with the excitement of robots in competition!  Each year, we have 6 weeks to design and build a robot from scratch.  The robot's necessary functions and abilities change every year, depending on the theme of the competition.

(At our first meet this year, we won the Excellence in Engineering Award, which celebrates advanatageous features of a robot that are done in an elegant manner.)

During our time in this program, we have learned how to program in Java, fundraise, safely and responsibly work with power tools, problem solve, brainstorm, teamwork, engage the community, and most of all, how to demonstrate one of the founding principles of FIRST: gracious professionalism.  Whether we are interacting with other teams, mentoring the middle school Robotics program, or being involved in community activities, we strive to provide the best learning experience for our students.

(At our second meet of the year, we came in Second Place! It's our highest finish in competition yet!)

We head to Grand Rapids on April 13 for 3.5 days of robots, robots, robots!  Our performace at States will determine if we qualify for the World Championship being held in St. Louis, MO in a few weeks.  And here's where we need your help!

Last year, when we qualified for the State Championship (for the first time ever!) we were able to go, because the state of Michigan was able to generously cover our entrance fee.   This year, though, because there are so many new teams, the state is unable to cover entry fees for all teams.  (Sad for us, but great that so many other teams have been started and so many more kids can experience the joys of STEM!)

(Some of our team members at our first competition.)

Travelling to these amazing events with the team is a fantastic experience for us:  we get to meet other teams, learn new and exciting ways to help grow our program in our community, and feed off the enthusiasm of the spectators, who are very supportive and encouraging! 

We are asking for help to cover entrance fees and travel expenses to get to these events.  If we were lucky enough to have any leftovers, these extra funds would be put towards expanding our FIRST footprint in our community, putting on summer programs for elementary-aged kids, and investing in some tools and other supplies that would help our team for years to come.

(The drive team and Leonardo, ready to compete!)

On behalf of the Trobots, our mentors, and the dedicated sponsors that have gotten us this far into the season...thank you for reading about us!  We would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have!  Go Trobots!

(Leonardo, in action on the field.  Here, he's sucking up a ball so that he could transport it across the obstacles to the goal on the other side of the field.)
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Here is a video of Leonardo in action.  Keep an eye on us - we're Team 3668.  The video will start with about 15 seconds of autonomous mode, which is where the robot will perform a task while relying solely on the program that was written for it.  After the buzzer, the drivers use controllers to manipulate Leo during the last 2 minutes of the match.