Problem solving doesn’t stop when the bell rings at the end of the day. For some, it continues in the robotics lab. 

For sophomore Raj Prabhu, competitive robotics offers a space to turn ideas into something tangible, a machine that has to work under real pressure.

While Prabhu has been on the team since seventh grade, he has been around it for almost eight years. His older brother’s involvement with the team allowed for his curiosity of robotics to grow. 

“Starting around seventh grade is when I started actually contributing and doing my work. Through that, I became captain of the team in either eight or ninth grade,” Prabhu explained.

Competitions are the most defining part of being on the robotics team. Every skill and innovative idea goes into one final end goal. 

“Every September we’re given a different game. That game could be scoring balls into a basketball hoop or maybe drawing a picture. Then, based on that game we’re given in September, we have two competitions, regionals to qualify for States and then from States we qualify to Worlds,” Prabhu explains.

The competitions all come down to robot versus robot; the one with the highest score gets to move on. 

This constant problem solving and inventing isn’t just a hobby for Prahbu, it’s his future. 

“I think my goal is to go to college and major in mechanical engineering. That’s what I want to do in my future,” Prabhu stated.

As Prabhu looks ahead to future competitions and possible careers in mechanical engineering, one thing is for sure, the lessons learned on the team will go far beyond the competitions, shaping how he handles problem solving and strategic planning in the future.