The Eleanor Roosevelt High School robotics team, known as the Area 53 Alien Raiders, has established itself as a force to be reckoned within the competitive world of high school robotics. Area 53 participates in the FIRST Robotics Competition league. In these competitions, the team engages in designing, building, and programming industrial-sized robots to tackle complex challenges. Their lastest comeption was the VEX World Championship in Dallas Texas from May 6th to May 14th.
Beyond technical skills, the robotics program fosters teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, preparing students for future STEM fields. With a history of competing in regional and national competitions, the ERHS robotics team provides a vital and informative platform for students to apply their knowledge and passion for science and technology in a dynamic and collaborative environment. Their next challenge is facing the competitive environment that comes with becoming world champions.
Students on a robotics team engage in a wide array of roles, from the hands-on technical work of design, construction, and coding the robot to prefrom vital non-technical tasks. The technical groups concentrate on the robot’s creation and operation, while the non-technical aspects ensure the team’s sustainability and community engagement. According to Meghana Noojipady a programmer for the robotics team “[she] has learned so much about leadership, teamwork, and what it takes to make a successful team. [she] has also learned a lot about responsibility and the importance of trial and error when it comes to working with high end competition robots that compete on a national and international level. [she] has also learned how to advance [her] programming skills!” Effective teamwork across these diverse functions is critical for successful development and competition.
Experienced mentors guide students in each of these areas, enabling a well-rounded educational experience. Engineering teacher and Area 53 sponsor Karen Bogoski highlights the benefit robotics has on students “team work provide[ing] students with practical learning opportunities to develop their collaborative and problem-solving abilities, and encourages an interest in STEM, which can be beneficial for their future.” Bogoski also emphasized the fact that having a robotics team is a once in a lifetime opportunity that most students do not have the privilege of participating in stating “confidence is a big one that I’ve seen students gain over the years. along with the technical skills that come with years of experience.” This confidence allowing the team to finish “2-7-1 in the Engineering Division, placing them last for the toughest division at the VEX World Championship. With last year’s World Champs, several Signature event winners, and some teams that developed new mechanisms for this year’s game, it was a learning experience.”
The ERHS robotics team, Area 53 Alien Raiders, actually started way back in the ’90s with VEX, then made a comeback in 2010. Fast forward to March 2024, they did something remarkable and sent three robots to the VEX World Championship, which was a first for the school and even the whole county! They’re not just about building awesome robots, though; they also do a lot to get younger kids excited about science and tech. Plus, they recently snagged a top award that recognizes the team’s overall strength in robot design, autonomous capabilities, and presentation skills. The team hopes to reach new standards in this years VEX World Championship.
