Raw Bacon, FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team #8743, has responded swiftly in team meetings to the recently released game challenge information for their competitive robotics season. According to senior member Robbie Thibodeau, Raw Bacon is using this month to generate robot designs, use computer-assisted design (CAD) for chassis prototypes, and brainstorm strategies to maximize game points.

This year’s FTC challenge incorporates UN Sustainable Development Goals #9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure. Broadly, the UN Sustainable Development Goals are a set of internationally recognized guidelines for fostering global citizenship. Within the FTC 2021-2022 game challenge, teams compete to solve technical obstacles to attain game points.

“Teams and their robots must navigate a complex transportation system by traversing barriers and racing against time to load and deliver essential items to those who need them most,” according to the FTC official website.

In Thibodeau’s words, the game challenge translates to moving small spheres and cubes to desired locations within the robotics game arena. Additionally, there are smaller ways to gain points such as developing hardware and software that respond to challenges such as balancing plates.

Thibodeau reports that there is a diverse range of skills and students can develop while participating on an FTC team such as Raw Bacon. Thibodeau reports his team includes builders, programmers, outreach programmers, game strategists, drivers, a business committee, and an engineering notebook committee.

“There’s the three Cs: CAD, coding, and communication,” Thibodeau said.

Starting in late November, the team will proceed to preliminary competitions that act as qualifying matches until around the middle of December. Next, Raw Bacon will move to regional competitions where they will gain the opportunity to acquire awards. Regular meeting times are Tuesdays and Wednesdays after school until 6:00 in the Hoover annex.