My Robotics Journey
I felt an instant rush of dopamine as our team approached the venue for our National VEX Robotics competition. As an ardent technophile, I have participated in numerous Robotic competitions including the Roborave International competition in Beijing in 2019, where my team and I won 3rd place.
Being given the incredible opportunity to represent my school’s robotics team at the National level, thrilled me equally. I remember feeling a surge of excitement when I was first told about this accomplishment. However, I soon realized that preparing for the competition was no easy feat.
From long group meetings after school to design our robot to figure out how to make it move efficiently to programming it to shooting discs effectively, we faced a legion of challenges along the way. However, under the mentorship of Dr. Fujiwara whose invaluable expertise in the field and encouragement helped us overcome numerous obstacles and realize our full potential, we throve.
On the day of the competition as we faced some of the best teams from around the country, our skills were put to test but even under the pressure of the electric atmosphere, our robot performed well despite minor setbacks and challenges that we quickly overcame. This endeavor not only whetted my appetite for Robotics but also gave me a taste of real-world challenges in building a robot, the importance of collaboration, and the value of persistence.
Looking back on my six-year journey in robotics, I realized just how much this passion had shaped me as a person. Through robotics, I have learned to think creatively, solve problems effectively, and work collaboratively with others. I have also gained a deep appreciation for the power of technology to solve real-world problems and make a positive impact in the world. It was an honor to be a Top 30 nationalist in VEX China, and a privilege to represent my school.
