The HHS Robotics Team 2239, otherwise known as the Technocrats, placed third amongst 60 teams in the Minnesota North Star Regional Competition. The competition was held on the campus of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities during the first weekend of April.

“Coming in third place is a huge accomplishment. It was especially great because last year we did poorly. The win made our team that much closer, and it was exciting to see our robot in action,” said Chrisna Minh, senior and team captain.

The Technocrats’ primary mission is to build a robot. In order to build the robot, students team up with engineers and staff from Medtronic who serve as their mentors. Mr. Tim Amlie, Technology Education and advisor for the Technocrats, explains that Medtronic has been a sponsor of HHS robotics for over seven years and a great support system.

“The interesting thing is that the CEOs or the division managers at Medtronic see this mentorship as great leadership training for their staff,” Amlie said. “The majority of the engineers are under thirty and just out of college, so their communication and computer skills are really helpful to the team.”

Josh Freeman, sophomore, explained that all the materials required to build the robot are provided from For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST).

Founded in 1998, FIRST strives to inspire students to become leaders in science and technology, as well as teach life skills of self-confidence, communication, and leadership. The Technocrats receive their primary materials from FIRST, such as the brain of the robot.

“We’re not given a design. We brainstorm and come up with an original design of our own,” Freeman said.

In addition to coming up with an original design, robotics students gain experience is a variety of manners.

“The students get a hands-on look at what really goes on in robotics; everything from the designing, the troubleshooting, the programming, and the promotion of the robot,” Amlie said.

The Technocrats are given six weeks to build a robot that meets the goals of the specific challenge selected for the regional competition. This year’s robot stands six feet tall and is controlled by a joystick. The judges give points to teams based on how well their robot completes the challenge, which is presented in the form of a game.

This year’s challenge completed by the robotics team was called Recycle Rush. Points were awarded for building a robot that can stack tote crates and put recycling bins on those totes, as well as put swimming noodles into those recycling bins to act as the recycling.

“When the game starts, the robot goes into autonomous mode and functions on its own. Then, a bell rings, and we can start controlling it and completing the task at hand. One team member drives and another assists,” Minh said.

The challenge is the same for all competing robotics teams. The challenge is decided every year by FIRST.

“I didn’t expect to see so many different styles of robots to complete the same challenge,” Minh said. “I expected the other team’s robots to be fairly similar to ours, but there was a wide range of styles from schools I’ve never even heard of.”

The Technocrats do not have any more competitions for the 2014-2015 school year. Amlie, however, already has some goals for next year.

“Every year there is a different competition or task to complete, but my big thing is that students always come out feeling accomplished,” Amlie said. “My goal is to make sure that students continue developing their interests, because the skills that they learn are for their future.”