“We don’t use kids to build robots- we use robots to build kids,” Dean Kamen founder of FIRST robotics said. That spirit was on full display when ARMADA robotics competed in the North Star state competition on April 5, taking second place against 46 other teams. Meeting almost every day after school in the woodworking classroom the team- led by ARMADA mentors Chris Mentz and Carter Smith- builds innovative, sustainable robots from repurposed materials. Students from every grade level come together in ARMADA, united by one mission- to push the limits of sustainability and to have fun doing it.
Armada robotics is almost entirely student-led, other than their mentors Mentz and Smith. The students run everything and work together to create their robot all on their own. The students also run their social media accounts and oversee their website.
“We’re all student led and we only use adult mentors for finances and them handling the money, but otherwise, it’s all us. Fundraising, building everything, sourcing the materials,” sophomore Emma Yates said.
The robotics team is extremely dedicated to what they do, meeting almost every day and on some Saturdays. The students do this in order to all be available. This allows them come in when they can to work on or progress their robot.
“The first Saturday of every single January, there’s a kickoff where reveals the game. What we have to build and make, and what it has to do. And then we all set off in the groups. And then we come back together, and all choose the design in one big group,” Yates said.
The robotics team has competitions all over Minnesota and even travelled to Fargo North Dakota for one. The season lasts about six weeks, from the kickoff in early January to the competitions in March and April.
The theme for this years competitions was “Reefscape,” senior Kyson Gentes said they had one competition in North Dakota and that one was probably one of my favorites.
Every student is in charge of something different, or in different groups in order to get their robot up and running. They all go into different breakouts to brainstorm their robot. Mechanics, programming, business and electronics are their groups, and each has a sub group as well.
All of our groups are in charge of something different to get our robot started up. This helps us be more time efficient and get more done. We have about 4 different teams, including marketing and social media said senior and captain Jaxon Bluesky.
Armada Robotics is more than just a team, it is a community. Built on creativity, collaboration and commitment to innovation and sustainability. With support from mentors and passions for pushing boundaries, students are not building just robots, they are building confidence and leadership. One thing is clear, the heart and dedication of Armada lies in its people and the impact they are making reaches far beyond just a competition floor.
