Citrus Circuits Robotics heads to World Championship

By Zoe Vikstrom,
Bluedevilhub.com Staff–

After an undefeated season, the Davis High Citrus Circuits Robotics team has qualified to the World Championship in St. Louis, MO. The event starts on April 22, and lasts until Saturday, April 25. Team members flew out to Missouri on April 21.

Da Vinci junior Amelia Otto Cutting attributes this year’s success, which includes three regional competition wins, to improved organization and experience.

“This season, we set a clear goal early on with what we wanted our robot to be able to do. We then designed mechanisms to quickly and efficiently complete these tasks,” Otto Cutting said. “Our team almost won the championships last year, so I think being that close to victory really drove us to improve.”

Junior Shreya Sudarshana has seen the robotics team grow more successful throughout the years.

“So far, we have won the most awards and performed the best at regionals. Last year was considered our best season until now,” Sudarshana said.

Citrus Circuits has come up with several strategies for winning the world championship. “Our team used a lot of strategizing and negotiating with other teams. Since sometimes the teams we work with are teams we are going up against, we have to work very diligently,” Sudarshana said.

“We now have enough recognition as a team that other teams will trust our strategic decisions and ally with us,” Otto Cutting said.

Team members have done what they could to improve their robot for the competition. “We also never stop improving, and work whenever we can shave milliseconds off our various robot functions,” Otto Cutting said.

Robotics mentor and DHS math teacher Stephen Harvey won the Woodie Flowers Finalist award, and that inspired team members to excel at the upcoming tournament.

“When Mr. Harvey won the woodie flowers finalist award, our team was immensely proud. This award is for mentors who are student nominated for being a great role model and influence, or really just helping to grow the program,” Otto Cutting said.

Citrus Circuits has been working all season to fund their program. Some ways they have fundraised were collaborating with the local restaurant Dos Coyotes as well as finding large companies such as Schilling Robotics/FMC Technologies to sponsor them.

“The Dos Coyotes fundraiser went a lot better than I thought it would. It was great seeing community members, both affiliated with robotics and not enjoying themselves and bonding,” Sudarshana said.

All these preparations have made the Citrus Circuits Robotics Team ready for the world championship. They are already proud and happy with what they have accomplished this season.

“To top off our team achievements, we also won the Gracious Professionalism award, had a student Deans finalist award, and got an engineering award for our robot design,” Otto Cutting said.