South Dade Robotics Team Wins Prestigious Award

The South Dade Senior High School Buccaneer Robotics Team won the Industrial Design Award at the recent South Florida Regional FIRST Robotics Competition at the University of Miami Watsco Center.

The South Dade students demonstrated how they designed and built their robot, including a technical document outlining the engineering process.

“This is a major accomplishment for our program, and everyone on our team worked very hard to design and build a great robot,” said Shawn Waring, the team’s coach.

The Buccaneers competed against 48 teams from around the world and earned third place overall.

“There were teams from all over, including Poland, Mexico, Japan, Turkey, and states from across the U.S. We did very well,” said Waring.

Based on the rules of the game, the robot picks up a six-inch foam ball called fuel and shoots it into a basket called a hub. The team consists of three members: a driver, an operator, and a coach. They compete in three-team alliances on a field similar in appearance to a basketball court. Teams work to score as many baskets as possible, with each score worth one point.

Organizing a successful robotics team is not easy, and the South Dade students have put in the work to build a strong program. They stay after school to design, build, and program robots, learning how to collaborate effectively along the way.

“Not many schools have teachers and students who are willing to do all the work necessary to build a robotics program,” said Waring.

Now the Buccaneers are preparing for an international competition in Houston from April 29 through May 2.

“We are doing all the work necessary to travel to Houston and compete there,” said Waring.

“I am extremely proud of these students and their accomplishments.”