On Tuesday, April 28th, the SHS Robotics Team (also known as the RoboRaiders) traveled to Houston, Texas for the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship. After months of redesigns and late-night troubleshooting, the team secured its qualification from a culmination of regional wins and an impressive result at the state championship. The team had earned a spot among just 336 FIRST Tech Challenge participants worldwide to attend the competition, held April 29 through May 2 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. This marked the RoboRaiders’ first World Championship appearance in its decade-long history. After three days of intense competition, the team earned the Second Place Think Award.

The FIRST Tech Challenge involves the release of a new game each year, guiding the team on what to base their robot on. This year’s challenge, called “DECODE,” was played similar to a two-on-two basketball game for robots. Captain Nathan Tao ’26 explained, “In its simplest form, teams of two pick up to three balls from around a 24×24 ft field, travel into designated launch zones, unload their balls into the goals, then repeat.” Each match runs two-and-a-half minutes, with a 30-second period in which the robot moves on its own, followed by two minutes of driver control.

To build a robot capable of competing at that level, the team installed numerous parts to satisfy the demands of the game. The robot has a shooter for the basketballs, which can move left and right, a flywheel, which allows the ball to be shot in the air, and an automatic aiming system for precision. Building the robot was largely split into two components. Firstly, the team’s engineers designed the robot online, then sourced parts and assembled the physical prototype from scratch. Secondly, the team’s programmers wrote the code, including processing data from odometry sensors for positioning and powering the motors that make it move.

The team was able to attend the competition through much team practice and training. Firstly, the team attended the John Jay qualifier competition in December. Unfortunately, they faced some difficulties in moving on. “Despite leading for most of the day, our robot and our partner robot malfunctioned in the final matches, and we missed out on advancement,” Tao explained. Because of this, the team continued to work on their robot, adding new upgrades, leading later to their win of the Peekskill qualifier in February. In addition, because of their community outreach throughout the year, the team won the “Inspire Award” for community outreach work that reaches more than 500 students each season.

After their regional victory, the team went on to compete at the State Competition in Utica, NY. In preparation for the multi-day event, they continued their upgrades on their robot, specifically the speed of the basketball shooter. The RoboRaiders seeded second at 6-2 against some of the fiercest competition in the state and reached the finals, qualifying them for the World Championship.

The championship was truly a global event, featuring entries from across the United States, Canada, China, Türkiye, and many other nations. After 3 days of intense competition, the team earned the second-place Think Award, an honor recognizing excellence in engineering design and problem-solving.

For many members of the RoboRaiders, competing at the championship was unforgettable. Rachel Cai ’28 described the experience as “surreal,” explaining that the event brought together “some of the most innovative and driven students from across the globe.” Surrounded by the top teams in one arena, every match felt both intense and inspiring.

Beyond the competition itself, the event exposed the RoboRaiders to a community of supportive collaboration and passion. Although teams were competing against one another, Cai explained that there was still a strong sense of mutual respect because “everyone understood the level of dedication behind each robot.”

For the RoboRaiders, their first World Championship appearance marked a new chapter for the future of the program. Looking ahead, the team hopes this season’s success will encourage more SHS students to explore STEM opportunities and continue growing the program’s impact within the community. After making school history and earning the second-place Think Award, the RoboRaiders are already looking forward to coming back even stronger next year.