We’re Putting STEM FIRST for the 7th Consecutive Year

MCC is proud to share that we’re sponsoring FIRST Robotics Team #7617, the RoboBlazers, from University High School in Indiana for the seventh consecutive season.

An international event focused on STEM, teamwork, and problem-solving, the FIRST^® Robotics Competition (FRC) pushes students to design, build, and program their creations for a unique and challenging game with a different theme every year. 

The 2024-2025 FIRST Robotics Competition theme is REEFSCAPE℠, where teams must use their skills to strengthen one of the ocean’s most diverse habitats. In a series of tournaments, teams and team alliances compete to earn points by using their robots to harvest algae, seed coral on the reef, and return to their barges before ascending to the surface.

Each team must utilize one human player, as well as both human-driven and autonomous operation of the robot. This video explains the objectives and scoring methods for the REEFSCAPE competition.

Photos courtesy of the RoboBlazers.

Team Spirit & Resilience: Highlights from the First Two Tourneys

While the first few weeks of the season are spent designing, building, programming, and testing the robot, the tournament schedule is now in full swing!

Here's a recap of the first two events:

Tournament 1: Lafayette, Indiana, March 21-23:

The season’s first tournament is always a bit nerve-wracking, but the RoboBlazers kept their enthusiasm and determination throughout the event’s highs and lows:

• The event began with 42 teams completing qualifying matches. After a series of losses in their first several qualifying matches, the RoboBlazers never got discouraged. This persistence paid off. Ultimately, they went on to win a few matches and did very well with their alliance in the playoff matches.
• During play, a robot sensor shorted, so the drive team quickly pivoted to other actions they could take to contribute to the alliance when the main scoring method was broken. They also diagnosed and fixed the problem in between matches.
• During another match, the drivetrain was malfunctioning, and it took a great deal of collaboration between programmers, electrical, and mechanical teams to isolate the problem and fix it.
• The RoboBlazers also won second place in the playoffs, reinforcing the idea that they should have fun and play the game without focusing too much on the rankings.
• The team enjoyed getting the crowd excited by using a fun wheel spectators could spin to win prizes.

Tournament 2: Washington, Indiana, March 27-29:

The FIRST Robotics Competition isn’t just about winning. How team members treat each other and fellow competitors during and after matches speaks volumes about their character. We’re excited to share that the RoboBlazers’ excellence in this area didn't go unnoticed — they won the Team Spirit Award.

According to the judges, “The Team Spirit Award celebrates extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit through exceptional partnership and teamwork, furthering the objectives of FIRST. This team showed up with energy that lit up the entire room! Their streak of enthusiasm continued to ignite excitement throughout the competition. Win or lose, they kept their fire burning bright.”

Other event highlights:

• The RoboBlazers helped an opposing team diagnose and solve some coding issues. They also assisted an alliance partner team with mechanical issues before playoffs.
• After a day of competing against 25 other teams, the RoboBlazers finished as a finalist (second place)!
• Another huge accomplishment for the RoboBlazers? Their pre-programmed autonomous robot routine earned the event’s second-highest ranking!
• Despite issues with the vision camera and attempts to repair it, the team has some work to do to prevent overheating, starting with reviewing the robot logs and making improvements before the next tournament.

With two successful tournaments under their belt, these young innovators are looking forward to the next round of challenges. Stay tuned for more exciting updates as we cheer the RoboBlazers on this season! You can track the team’s standings and recent event results.