HONOLULU (KHON2) — The annual FIRST Robotics Competition concluded Sunday at Saint Louis High School, showcasing high school students’ skills, teamwork, and creativity.
Dozens of teams from across the globe gathered to design, program, and build industrial-sized robots for fast-paced games. In total, 23 teams from Hawaii participated, along with teams from Iowa, Canada, Japan, Singapore, and Taipei.
The two-day event provides a platform for students to challenge themselves, build technical skills, and foster teamwork and creativity while promoting an appreciation for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Chase Pacpaco, a member of Team 359, Hawaiian Kids from Waialua High & Intermediate, spoke about the dedication required: “The amount of time we spend working on the robot and making sure it’s perfect… and the amount of competitions we go to. We can build the practice and continue to improve.”
Pacpaco also expressed his future aspirations: “I wanna go to college, and I plan on studying mechanical engineering somewhere on the mainland.”
This year’s competition theme, “Reef-scape,” challenged teams to use their skills to explore life beneath the ocean’s surface.