The week leading up to our first competition, the Robo Pirates worked tirelessly, putting in late hours getting our robot ready for the competition. On Saturday, November 12, 2022, Benjamin Davila, Antonio Jimenez and Koby Lara showed up early to get our robot ready for a day of competition. The team worked on programming the robot in the back seat of the suburban on the way to the Meet. Once we arrived, we unpacked, ate our McDonalds, and got to work refining the robot and lifting cones in the practice area.  

When our first round began, the robot was put into position and we began. The robot was moving well, but the lifting arm was having issues. After the round ended, the team went to work tightening the arm and practicing some more. Each consecutive round, Benjamin, our driver, improved his skills and was able to rack up more points. By the end of the third round, the team figured out the issue with the arm slipping. During the fourth and final rounds, everything was working harmoniously and we were able to dominate the scoring. During the final round, we were able to score more points than any team during the entire meet. With Ben driving, Antonio coaching and Koby placing cones, our team seemed unstoppable. Sadly, we had no more rounds to win. We ended up with three wins and two losses and a ranking of fifth place for the day. 

Going from a robot that couldn't drive on Monday to a fully functioning robot that scored with ease on Saturday was due to the team's will and persistence. 

Our next Meet with be on December 10, 2022. We know by then our robot will have progressed even further and will dominate the competition. 

See photos in this Google album: Robo Pirates First Meet of the Season 11-12-2022