As the robot grabbed the cube and made its way toward the basket, the Robotics team hoped it would be their lucky moment.

The Tech Challenge Robotics Team competed at the Space Coast FTC Championship on Feb. 2. The robots had to pick up balls and cubes autonomously for 30 seconds, then the drivers took control.

“It was an exciting experience for me, and I can say this is true for the whole team,” senior Kishen Mitra said.

Freshman Andrew Stirna said the competition was a worthwhile experience.

“Overall it was a lot of fun,” Stirna said. “We met new people, made new friends, built a robot and learned the importance of gracious professionalism.”

Mitra also said he felt his team gained much from the experience.

“Apart from leading a team and the bonding experiences, the First Tech Challenge has provided a variety of skills important for professional development,” Mitra said.

West Shore, the only rookie team out of the six that competed, won the Finalist Alliance Award, the Controls Award, and Collins Aerospace Innovate Award Runners-up. The Controls Award is software and sensor-based, while the Innovate Award is based on bringing design ideas to reality.

“As a rookie team, each win we had during the competition boosted our confidence,” Mirta said.

Stirna said he enjoyed the learning experience of the competition as well.

“[We] were able to learn more about the robotics field of engineering,” Stirna said. “I really feel as though our school should help our robotics team grow, considering the fact that we are indeed an academic school.”

By Chloe Seifert