The 2023-2024 Blackman Robotics season started in September with the team meeting three times a week after school and some members working on the weekend. The team consists of high school and middle school students and is led by mentor and middle school teacher Zach Martin and many parent volunteers. 

   “I feel like robotics showed me the direction I want to go to college. I want to do design and I have changed from chemistry to physics,” stated sophomore Adien Haynes.  

   Many students are so dedicated to the team that they spent Halloween at the middle school building the robot. This reporter even stayed and helped them a little bit for a more hands-on experience.  

   The team competes in two main competitions, one in the fall and one in the spring. Each competition has a different prompt.  

   The fall competition is called BEST Robotics, and teams were asked to make a robot that could drive on a field and complete a variety of tasks within a three-minute timeframe. Each team is given a material kit, which limits what can be used to construct the robot. BEST Robotics took place at Lipscomb University, where the Blachman team placed third overall, qualifying them for regionals. They traveled to the University of Northern Alabama for regionals, where they almost qualified for the semifinals.  

   “Almost qualifying for semifinals was so cool, and I think next year we will make it. I am very proud to be on a robotics team with this amount of community and talent,” said sophomore Penina Weil-Coveny. 

   The team have begun to prepare for their next competition: the Robotics Drone League, where they will travel to East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. 

   “Competing with this team has been an amazing experience for me. I have been on this team since it started six years ago, so I have seen the vast improvements we have made as a team and as individuals. Six years ago, we scored a single point at our first competition, and now we place in the top three teams and advance to the regionals with the best teams around the southern region,” stated senior Chase Bowes. 

   Along with Chase Bowes, his younger brother Preston is also on the team. This is their second and last season together before Chase goes off college.  

   “Blackman Robotics has shown me the career path I want to pursue in life, working with the team and software in different aspects brought my mind toward working with engineering and design. Currently, we are doing RDL’s (Robotics Drone League) Scarecrow, based on technological advancements in agriculture. You get a robot and drone to collect objects, interact with, and fly around a field,” said sophomore Preston Bowes. 

   The team will compete this week for RDL. All the members have been preparing for months, and we wish them luck as they begin their last competition of the year.