The NDB Robotics team, better known as the “TigerBots,” has been diligently working hard to build a brand-new robot for their upcoming competitions.
In order to do so in an efficient manner, the robotics team is split up into two separate parts: the business side and the building side. The business side mainly handles funding as the team is entirely independent from NDB funding while the building side is entirely focused on constructing the robot and always improving it to guarantee it meets competition standards. This year’s robot has many different tasks to accomplish and the team will receive more points depending on the amount of tasks it completes.
“So the robot has to pick up these pieces and put them on the board…. and then, I think one of the more fun parts of the game this year is there’s a part where you launch a paper airplane from the robot… there’s a part where you can get the robot to hang from a part of the field.” said sophomore head builder Maggie Blanchard.
The robotics team is an open environment and invites all NDB students whether they have experience or not. The team is split into two parts for the purpose of working together to create a space where students feel they can be themselves and explore their interests in the STEM or business fields.
“One of the things that’s nice about it is you really don’t need any experience, just an interest in it. When I started, I didn’t have any experience in building and, you know, we’re all kind of learning as we go, so we just figure stuff out,” added Blanchard.
Women in STEM are such an important part of the NDB community and it is so inspiring to see the work they are putting in for one common goal in mind: building the best robot possible. The TigerBots demonstrate how women are immersing themselves in a field previously dominated by men and how they are taking on leadership roles to continue spreading their love for STEM.
“I came and I learned more about what they do and their amazing message promoting women’s STEM and all of that, and of course, I got to handle money,” said the team’s head co-lead Trisha Garud.
The TigerBots practice from 3:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday and are always open to welcoming newly interested members. They have created such a strong bond with their fellow team members and are dedicated to succeeding in upcoming competitions.
The TigerBots have developed a passion for robotics and enjoy helping their team get to competitions in whatever their separate roles entail.
