The newly formed First Tech Robot Club, a student-driven organization sponsored by the Intramurals Activities Program and the Rhinelander School Board, took second place in the First Tech Challenge (FTC) state competition in Milwaukee on Feb. 1. This was the club’s first competition since forming in late November.

The club has 14 active members divided into two teams, with each team creating a robot to display in the competition. Each design follows a theme and set of standards implemented by FTC and changes every season. This year’s theme was Ring it Up! and was focused on each robot’s ability to lift and retrieve rings located within a 12’x12′ field. Each team was given 30 seconds for their robot to perform autonomously, followed by a two-minute driver-controlled period. Within the time period, the team had to prove that their creation was programmed to function by different control methods while completing a series of tasks.

While the teams had been designing their robots since late November, part assembly began in early January, three weeks before the competition. The team met roughly twice a week after school and during study hall periods to finalize their creation.