By Yashwin Kandra ’27
The District Competition!
BETHLEHEM, PA – This past weekend, I got the opportunity to accompany the DBP Varsity Robotics team to the FIRST Robotics Competition Mid-Atlantic District Championship at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. It was an event brimming with excitement, with enthusiasm around every corner. Every team was hard at work, fixing their robots and learning from their mistakes. You wouldn’t expect it, but the crowds went wild, and teams chanted together. This event truly embodied FIRST’s motto of Gracious Professionalism.
Our team:
The Varsity robotics team here at Don Bosco Prep is experienced, and each person is well versed in his field, whether it be with wiring, programming, or mechanical work. In the photo below, we see the drive team, mid-match, strategizing and maneuvering the robot swiftly. The numerous mentors helped prepare the students to work on their own, and helped them along the way as well.
The entire robot was masterfully constructed by the team after weeks of designing and preparation. Multiple late nights were necessary to get this robot as successful as it was, along with the efforts of many members of the team. There are multiple mechanisms affixed to the frame, including something dubbed the “Rain Gutter,” in reference to its shape and design.
What was the game?
The game changes every year for FRC, and this year it was Reefscape. There were several objectives to conquer for the attending teams, including hanging the robot on the cage, putting coral on the reef, and scoring algae in the barge/processor as pictured above. Ok, I know a lot of that didn’t make any sense, but each of these terms refers to a physical object or area on the field.
The Jargon:
- Reef: The purple structure in the left of the picture.
- Coral: The wide PVC pipes scored on the reef.
- Cage: The boxes hung on chains in the back of the photo. They are colored based on the alliance they are for.
- Deep Cage: Cages that are closer to the floor. They give 12 points if successfully hung on.
- Shallow Cage: Cages that are higher up. They give 6 points if successfully hung on.
- Algae: The green balls strewn across the field and in the reef.
- Barge: The area where the cages are hung. There is a net on top to score the algae.
- Processor: A place on the side of the field to score algae as well.
Our Performance
Though we weren’t topping the rankings, we performed incredibly well. The drive team was able to maneuver the field, threading in between robots like a needle. We pulled off several successful hangs off of the deep cage, and scored many coral pieces. All in all, it felt like a worthwhile experience, and I hope to go back again next year.