Winter 2023-2024
FTC Robotics and its Role in Victoria Park
Interviewing Andrew Li, a club executive of FTC Robotics to discover its role in competitions and student life in Victoria Park.
There are numerous clubs that play a role across Victoria Park by uniting students with common interests, ranging from science, art, technology, and much more. One of these clubs is the FTC Robotics Club, which specializes in designing and crafting robots for a variety of unique purposes. The robotics club also plays a vital role in Victoria Park by representing the school in various robotics competitions. To get a better understanding of the FTC Robotics Club’s role in Victoria Park, we interviewed one of its executive members to get an insider’s perspective on the club and what it does on a regular basis.
Eshan Kiritharan: So, describe what it’s like to be a general member of robotics.
Andrew Li: Being a general member of robotics means that one needs to make the daily commitment of coming to the lab after school. We work on the robot, hang out with friends, and sometimes even cook our own food. It’s very fun.
Eshan: A big role of your club is competing in robotics competitions. How do these robotics competitions work, and what competitions have taken place?
Andrew: Each year, a new game is introduced with a specific challenge. The challenge is to build a robot that can complete a series of tasks within a playing field. This year, the goal was to pick up pixels and put them on a board, shoot a paper airplane, and hang it on a truss. In each round, a task completed gives points, and the team with the most points in the end wins. For our team, we competed at David Mary Thompson and Windsor.
Eshan: In the past week or so, you’ve held bake sales to boost your club. How does your club manage its costs, and what does it use its money for?
Andrew: Our fundraising team managed the money from the bake sale, and they used it to help register for competitions, buy new materials, fund transportation, and book hotels.
Eshan: Is it worth it to be an executive member of FTC Robotics?
Andrew: In my opinion, it is worth being an executive at FTC, as we manage and overlook the whole team. We coordinate all the subteams to create the perfect robot, and it is an amazing leadership experience.
Eshan: We’re glad to have interviewed you about the FTC and its role in our school. Thank you.
From competing in competitions to providing a deeper view into the world of mechanics, FTC robotics plays a special role as a club in Victoria Park. In addition, it can be a great way for students to share their interests in a common science field while encouraging them to apply their skills through real-world applications. Victoria Park’s FTC Robotics not only enriches students’ understanding of mechanics and engineering but also serves as a platform for sharing and cultivating their passion for science.