Hawktimus Prime

“Hawktimus Prime Competition” By Troy Smith

As the Holly Springs High School Robotics Team gears up for their competition, I spoke to their teacher advisor, Mr. Snead, about the team, their upcoming competition, and competitions in the past.

Q: Why might someone be interested in robotics, and why would a student join the team?

Mr. Snead says there are a wide range of reasons why someone might join the robotics team: from creating the actual robot to the business aspects like marketing and attracting capital from sponsors, there is a place for a number of interests on the team. He also says it is a “great little community” that someone may join, and a great place to build relationships within the school.

Q: How have competitions gone in the past?

While Mr. Snead was not here for the years they went, the team has gone to the world competition twice in Houston, Texas. At said competition, teams come from Asia, Europe, Australia, and around North America to compete. However, in recent years, he says the team usually garners enough points to make it to the state competition. These points are earned when robots complete tasks, and the points Hawktimus Prime typically earns allow them to move up to the state competition.

Q: How do you and the team prepare for the competition?

The competition is announced in the first week of January, leaving the teams three months to prepare for the events. Before the announcement, members prepare by getting tool certifications and will work on promoting and fundraising. The entry fee is quite costly, sitting at $5,000 to enter the competition, and robot costs are generally around the same price. So, fundraising for the robot consisting of applying for grants is done throughout the season. Most of these activities are completed by the business team, consisting of five members this year. When the team begins construction of the robot, the group is split into a number of different sub-teams. The electrical, mechanical (which is split further into chassis and manipulation teams), drafting, and programming teams all work together to build the robot, a process that usually takes the full three months, but this year they are far ahead of schedule. During this time, the business team makes updates on the social media accounts of Hawktimus Prime, keeping onlookers informed on the progress of the robot. Finally, the team unveils their creation on the Robot Reveal Night, which will be held on March 9, at 6 p.m in the school auditorium. The team puts together a video of their season so far and unveils the robot for those who wish to attend.

Q: How has COVID changed the competitions?

While the team did not have any competitions these past two years due to COVID, the team still kept busy with events and meetings. During this time, leaders educated members on their respective roles, honing their skills for the competitions to come, and the business team also applied for a number of grants. On lighter occasions, the team would meet and play games together, keeping the team well-rounded and in touch with each other.

Q: How does the team feel going into the competition?

This year, mentors are optimistic, feeling that this is the best robot they have built in years. The robot is conservative in design but more than suitable for the tasks it needs to perform. In past years, Mr. Snead feels the team has been more on the ambitious side of robot design, leading to some designs not working as they should have, as well as other technical mishaps. However, the team is said to be running like a well-oiled machine, being weeks ahead of schedule and ready for testing very soon. The events this year consist of shooting a ball into a hoop and climbing on bars, which Mr. Snead feels the robot is prepared to excel in.

As mentioned, the team is very optimistic this year and may be on track to attend the world competition for a third time. The first competition will be held on the 12th and 13th of March at ECU, and for those who wish to watch the competition, they can do so on Twitch. For any further information, consult the team’s website here - https://www.hawktimusprime.com/