Vivian Cook ’27
Electrifying and industrious, the robotics team has worked hard this winter, developing impressive machinery and programs. With the use of creativity, engineering skills, and teamwork, they hope to meet success at competitions this spring. From Thanksgiving break until Christmas break, team members gathered to prepare for the upcoming season. While new members learned their way around the lab, robotics veterans designed possible prototypes for the upcoming season.
After winter break, the team was given their task: the “game,” that their robot should participate in. After the task is assigned, “It’s pretty hands-on just trying to get the robot built in about six weeks,” says Christy Rheam, Co-Director of the Robotics Team. During those six weeks, the group is split into two teams that both design their own fully functional robots—teams 2234 and 2095. In March, they will bring their creations to three different competitions—two local competitions, and one regional competition held in Pittsburgh.
None of the team’s accomplishments would be possible without the dedication and commitment of the students. For example, one team stays in the lab four days a week after school and comes in for 6 hours on Saturdays throughout the winter season. The other arrives after school three days a week to build an elaborate robot. Rheam notes, “A willingness to try new things is one way the team has been able to find success. Our students aren’t always stereotypical robotics programmers who are the best math and science students, but they’re rather consistent and open-minded. They have such great technical skills because of their good ideas and dedication.”
Photo courtesy of @ea_robotics
While the team aims to build a robot and successfully compete in challenges later in the season, students tend to receive much more than just a functional bot. Rather, they get countless memories and learn skills that help them overcome challenges. For the students new to robotics, they must fail. Learning how to persevere through frustration and overcome defeat is key to improving personal engineering skills as well as leadership skills. Ben Mathisen ’27, notes, “Having the ability to throw something away when it doesn’t work is a key quality for everyone on the robotics team. There is only so much time throughout the six weeks that the team works, and we must recognize when something simply won’t function.”
Edward Mathisen, Co-Director of the Robotics Team, focuses on the idea of students “Building something that they are proud of, rather than simply winning competitions. Of course, the main objective of the season is to hopefully do well in the long run, but for us, the coaches, the goal of the season is to have the kids build a robot that reflects their design priorities—one they’re proud to have made and programmed themselves.” As an outstanding mentor and teacher, Mathisen always seeks to guide and help navigate students through the difficulties of robotics.
Though not an issue for EA, in response to other schools’ lack of student participation in robotics programs, this year’s senior class designed a new initiative, “W-E-T-O,” or, “We Engineered This Ourselves.” This initiative has not changed what robotics programs may look like but rather highlights the fact that students, not teachers or other mentors, put their time and effort into the programming and design of robots throughout their seasons.
Students have also found that engineering, specifically in the robotics lab, is all about creativity, collaboration, and resilience. JD Krasnick ’25 notes, “Engineering can be frustrating and slow sometimes, but being able to continually work out a problem and take new approaches is an important and essential step to ultimately having success at the end of the season. It’s good to try one approach, but a lot of times you have to think outside-of-the-box to find a way around a problem—one that works well, but that isn’t always too obvious.” Engineering, noticeably, is incredibly difficult and tedious, but the passion within every robotics member makes the long hours working extremely hard “Rewarding and just like doing something you love,” Krasnick states.
Photo courtesy of @ea_robotics
To continue, Tatum Schmedlen ’25 is essentially self-taught in 3D printing. With only a little help from mentors Mrs. Rheam and Mr. Mathisen, she masterfully perfected the skill. “When you try to make stuff and kind of fail, you then learn how to do it the right way,” Schmedlen says. “That’s how you will find success in the robotics room. Programming and engineering look difficult at the beginning of the year, but the willingness to put effort into learning, and not just expecting yourself to be able to perform is key,” she continues.
Being on the robotics team for the past four years has tremendously impacted seniors, providing them with skills such as communication and independence. Over the years, such qualities have blossomed out of robotics students, especially when learning what it means to be a teammate. “Communication is the big one,” Schmedlen says. “At competitions and before every match, you must make plans with your other teammates, and ask them what may or may not be the right next step.” Just as Schmedlen puts it, robotics is a transformative activity that requires communication and builds communal trust and teamwork skills.
Krasnick joined the robotics team during his freshman year, as he knew he would benefit from the experience of collaborative work. “I’ve always enjoyed building models and other things, and I thought working on a team would be a good experience for me to learn how to work in a collaborative environment,” he says. Throughout the years, he has had many upperclassmen to look up to, and they have all taught him countless skills, whether it be ones in engineering, or how to be a helpful teammate who doesn’t simply rely on others. Such team-building and creative skills prepare those on the robotics team for their future. In addition, the program’s ability to develop and define the characters of different members is a key reason why students keep returning every year. Truly, robotics shapes and elevates the personalities of anyone who takes their hand at the program.
In the final weeks counting down until competitions, the team continues to perfect their robots as they get closer and closer to the finish line. They have created a phenomenal and fully-functioning 7-foot elevator system along with other impressive equipment. With the leadership skills from the senior class as well as the impressive engineering and personal skills of the rest of the team, they are very confident in their abilities to perform well this year during competitions—and so is the rest of the Episcopal community. Good luck to teams 2234 and 2095!