702 Bagel Bytes — Robotics Preseason Update

When walking across campus, there is a very high chance you will see a sign for “Team 702 Bagel Byte Robotics.” It’s hard to miss, with its bright blue and yellow design. Even harder to miss, if you walk by after school, are the people hard at work creating robots or designing contraptions to use at the next competition.

FIRST, which stands for, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, is an organization that brings robotics programs to schools at any age level. Team 702, a part of the broader organization of FIRST and the official Culver City High School robotics team, is an integral part of the STEM program at our school. 

“FIRST is a[n] organization dedicated to spreading STEM throughout local communities and encouraging engineering and youthful minds,” said Ethan Cole, this year’s team captain. “It is an opportunity for kids that might not have opportunities to express their engineering interests . . . and gives them an outlet to build robots.” 

Team 702 builds full scale robots that are designed to complete tasks, which are given out at the beginning of each season. This requires the collaboration of all the sub-teams of robotics to meet the deadlines and create something amazing.

Business is the money maker of the sub-teams, where their role is to contact community members and companies for funding and opportunities to showcase what Team 702 does. A big part of why the team is able to continue to do the work that they do are from the sponsors that business procures. The presentations given at museums and elementary schools in the district are also directly related to the outreach of the business team.

The Mechanics sub-team is in charge of creating the structure of the robot itself using materials like metals and wood. They aren’t in charge of just creating the robot, however, as they also make props and other instruments that can be used to practice for the FIRST Robotics competition. 

“We work with a bunch of tools . . .  like drills, a bunch of different saws, . . . and then the mill,” Mechanics member Eldrick Fan said. 

The Electronics sub-team works closely with Mechanics and Programming on the more technical aspects of robot design, such as wiring, along with overall organization, says Soleil Jones, the head of the Electronics subteam. 

“A messy robot means a robot that no one can work on, much less than electronics alone,” Jones said.

 Electronics also works closely with Programming, often being referred to as a single sub-team because of the combined efforts for creating a functioning robot. The Programming subteam uses the electronics set up by Electronics to transmit data to the different parts of the robot for it to function. 

“Basically, the programming goes into the computer and makes the robot move to cause magic,” said Cameron Trux, head of programming. Together, Electronics and Programming work together to enable the robot’s functionality.

Gallery • 8 Photos

Bertrand Edwards

The CAD sub-team, which stands for Computer-Aided Design, designs the robots and the various other things needed for the season. They work nonstop with the Mechanical sub-team to create a robot that can perform the tasks needed for the year’s game. Before competition begins, teams are given the rules and game design before-hand.

“As a sub-team, we look at this [information] and say, ‘[T]hose are our parameters and we design for those parameters’”, sub-team captain Penn Carbo said.

This preseason, the sub-teams have been collaborating to have the opportunity to go to championships again. The teams have worked together to create a “Mini-Bot,” which is geared toward improving the team’s skills for the coming season.

In the coming season, Team 702 hopes to much improve upon the last few years. Carbo and Cole both are optimistic about the coming season, hoping that the team’s experience and preparation will pay off in the weeks to come.

This team holds a bright future for many students that are interested in a STEM career. Not only do they learn how to build robots, but they also learn about how the robots do what they do. 

“It teaches you a lot about networking and social skills that are extraordinarily important throughout your whole life”, said Dr. David Stout, who is one of the coaches. STEM is a field that has a lot of  potential, and a great way to experience it at Culver City High School is by joining 702 Bagel Bytes.