ABS Robotics team gears up for year 17

Published 10:00 am Thursday, October 26, 2023

The Athens Bible School robotics team is preparing for its 17th season at the BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology) Robotics tournament on November 11th at Calhoun Community College. The team has been looking forward to this event as it has an impressive history of success at the competitions, and it is ready to showcase its solution to this year’s challenge.

This year, the theme, Incision Decision, adds a medical twist to the challenge, which promises an exciting day of innovation and creativity.

The Trobotics team, named after the school’s Trojan mascot, inspires students to pursue careers in STEM fields by engaging them in the hands-on, team-based robotics competition. The BEST program is a perfect match for the team’s mission.

As the event approaches, Jackson Ortner, a ninth grader and a member of the Trobotics Engineering Department, shares in the team’s enthusiasm.

“Game Day is a fun experience. We get to see what all the other teams have been working on and see how our solution and strategies measure up,” Ortner said.

The Trobotics team includes the departments of Programming, Engineering, Manufacturing, Testing, and Marketing. Composed of members from grades six through twelve, all the departments work together to achieve the common goal of winning the Overall BEST award. The divisions compete in activities such as robot driving, compiling an engineering notebook, a marketing presentation, cheering and sportsmanship, and a team exhibit and interview.

Scott Britnell, the team’s head coach, has the team ready for this year’s competition.

“We are excited for the 2023 BEST Robotics competition with the medical theme. The different themes help the students see how relevant what we do is to so many different careers. This year, we will be fielding one of the biggest teams in program history, and we are excited about competing,” he said.

In preparation for Game Day, the Trobotics team has been working hard brainstorming ideas for this year’s unique Incision Decision theme. Mentors guide the members and ensure they are prepared for the competition.

As the team wraps up its 17th season with the BEST program, they need sponsors to help fund equipment and supplies. The team invites community members to learn more about what they do and its program. Additional information about the team can be found on their website, trobotics.info, or contact the school. The team is excited to enter another successful year of learning, teamwork, and winning while inspiring and developing future generations of engineers, scientists, and innovators.