TRAVERSE CITY - Students from more than 35 high schools gathered in Traverse City Friday morning to begin a weekend-long robotics competition. The event features some of the top young engineers from across the state.
The competition allows participants to put weeks of design and construction work to the test. Beyond the physical performance of the machines, teams are evaluated on their technical capabilities, recruitment efforts, and overall organizational growth.
Dan Riehl serves as the coach for Team 3767, also known as the TC Titans. He explained that the judging process involves a comprehensive look at how a team functions throughout the entire season.
“So the judges are here to evaluate how well teams have met the criteria for very specific awards,” Riehl said. “And so they’re looking for things like how do you grow your team, how do you recruit, and what are some technical capabilities of your robot.”
The competition environment requires students to maintain a high level of focus between active matches. Tucker Ballenger, the design lead for the TC Titans, described the mental preparation and mechanical maintenance required during the event.
“Right before competition, just getting that mental headspace that it’s going to be very fast-paced,” Ballenger said. “Get the robot ready and send it out. The robot comes back after a match in the front to the pit, and you make sure everything’s working and fix anything that might break.”
The event follows weeks of building, testing, and improving various components of the robots. Students involved in the program noted that the hands-on experience allows them to practice real-world engineering on a shorter scale. This exposure helps develop skills that often overlap with college courses.
The students also emphasized the value of the hard work and late nights required to prepare for the event. Participants expressed pride in their efforts despite the challenges of ensuring their robots perform perfectly under pressure.
Teams will continue refining their robots throughout the weekend, and participants noted that the experiences gained during the competition are expected to carry over into their future professional careers.