Team Laputa Decodes Success: KAS Robotics Battles it Out at FTC

by Oscar Lin (Grade 12)

Amidst the scramble to study for exams, balancing school with life, while building a functioning and intricate machine, the members of the KAS robotics team, Laputa (Team ID: 19908), devoted countless hours every week for several months in preparation for the annual FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), which happened last week.

This year, the theme was DECODE, where the robots are to not only score balls in their respective goals, but also sort the colors in terms of a randomized motif for extra points. The games were divided into a 30-second autonomous period, for the robot to run pre-programmed operations, followed by a 2-minute Tele-operation period, where the players control the robot to score points.

The Saturday before the competition, the team travelled to Tainan to participate in a mock FTC tournament hosted by the team Caret (Team ID: 22666), competing with other local teams to gain better experience of real tournament conditions. It was both an opportunity to see the culmination of the team’s hard work put into action through the robot and a chance for the team to connect with and learn from other competitive teams with abundant experience. 

On the competition day, the team arrived at the National Science and Technology Museum at 7 AM, ready for the official FTC, and to compete with 35 other teams that were equally as ambitious. The team went for 5 qualifying rounds, of which there were two wins, two losses, and a tie.

Each game served as an emotional rollercoaster for the team, with triumphs of scoring multiple goals consistently while working seamlessly with the alliance team, while others ended with the robot malfunctioning or underperforming. Yet, the team remained optimistic and motivated in spite of the setbacks. 

At the end of the tournament, KAS Laputa placed 19th out of 36. Even though we did not receive an award this year, the season as a whole was still a fulfilling experience. For the team, the most important part was seeing the effort come to life as the robot navigated through the field and scored with its meticulously designed mechanisms to display the pride of KAS.

For the team, this annual competition is not just a test of skill. It is a way for the team to foster a deeper appreciation for science and technology while acknowledging the importance of cooperation.