The Chaska High School robotics team – dubbed the RoboHawks – have been offered a spot to compete at the world championship event in Houston, Texas.

Robotics, a common after-school program, is the “intersection of science, engineering and technology that produces machines, called robots, that substitute for (or replicate) human actions,” according to tech site Built In.

The educational activity is “as close to real-world engineering as a student can get,” according to FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC).

Robotics teams compete in competitions where, under strict rules, limited time and resources, they are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program industrial-size robots to play a difficult field game against like-minded competitors. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team.

Founded in 2008, the Chaska RoboHawks compete annually in the FIRST Robotics Competition. After winning the 2022 Lake Superior Regional competition this year, the team has been offered a spot to compete in Houston, Texas at the FIRST Championship competition.

Hosted by FIRST headquarters, FIRST Championship is a “culminating, international event for youth robotics competition season and an annual celebration of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for our community as we prepare young people for the future,” according to the organization.

The Chaska team will compete with a robot which they’ve named “Wilder” at the world championship competition. Wilder, according to FOX 9, has the ability to pick up giant tennis balls and throw them through wooden hubs from different distances as well as climb a series of monkey bars.

The RoboHawks have set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise $40,000 in order for all members of the team and their mentors to make the trip to Houston.

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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Minnesota Sun and The Star News Network.
Photo “Minnesota High School Robotics Team” by RoboHawks.