Programmed for Success: Robotics Team Builds with Innovation and Collaboration
The 2022-23 school year marks the 13th year of the Mahtomedi High School (MHS) Robotics team and their participation in the First Robotics Competitions. The Mahtomedi High School Team, named Z Bots, includes 24 students and 8 mentors, who make up 5 specialized teams. At this year’s First Robotics Competition, the Z Bots competed at Williams Arena at the Univeristy of Minnesota, alongside 60 other teams from across MN and as far as the Czech Republic! Team Z Bots competed in 92 qualification matches, followed by playoffs. The Z Bots succeeded in building a working robot that picked up cubes, cones, and “charged on the platform” as intended, winning four matches.
Dan Kizaur, Physics and Engineering teacher at MHS and the team advisor, shared this about the season, “This year was one of the team's most successful build seasons in the past decade. Building on the success of previous years, the team was able to field the most complete robot in terms of competition requirements. Instead of focusing on a single scoring element, we were able to build a robot that was flexible enough to work on different aspects of the game depending on the needs of our alliance. In addition to the flexibility of our design, our robot consistently scored each match and completed the tasks we said we would accomplish. This brought added attention leading up to finals selection that our team doesn't usually get. This tremendous performance is all credited to the hard work of our members and their cohesion as a team. We will miss our seniors as we leave the 2023 build season behind, but are set up to accomplish even more next year because of the legacy they helped to build.”
Anna Baldauff, Class of 2023 MHS student and Robotics Club President, shared this about the experience, “Being on the Mahtomedi Robotics team has given me experience that my employers have said they value, and I know it will continue to help me in the future.” Interested in MHS Robotics Club next year? The Club is open to everyone and no experience is necessary. The build meetings and competitions run from January to early April. Alumni and adult mentors are also needed. Share your skills and learn new ones in the five teams: mechanical, electrical, coding, creative design, and business. Click here to view the team website for more information.
