Capistrano Unified’s Districtwide Robotics Team 5199 (Robot Dolphins from Outer Space) recently qualified for the World Championship in Houston, along with winning first place at the Los Angeles Regionals FIRST Robotics Competition.
The annual competition is held by the not-for-profit FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), whose mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders. Over the course of two days, over 50 high school teams competed at the FIRST Robotics Competition held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The event combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology, engaging students in creative problem solving, teamwork and strategic thinking skills.
This year’s theme was “Destination: Deep Space,” a sample-collecting mission on the fictitious planet Primus. During the competition, alliances made up of three teams compete on a special playing field with robots they have engineered, built and programmed against like-minded competitors. Students worked alongside professional engineers who volunteered their time and professional talents to guide each team.
The Robot Dolphins from Outer Space team is made up of students from Aliso Niguel High School, Capistrano Valley High School, Dana Hills High School, San Clemente High School, San Juan Hills High School, and Tesoro High School. The team also includes students from Laguna Beach High School within Laguna Beach Unified School District.
The team will now move on to world championships held at the end of April in Houston, Texas.