Robotics Team Wins “Innovate” Award at FIRST Tech Challenge
The Gunston School Robotics Team, the “Honey Nut Gearios,” achieved a significant milestone, taking home the “Innovate Award” at the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) competition for their imaginative design and use of advanced technology, including 3D-printed components crafted using Fusion 360, a computer-aided design program the students taught themselves. Held in Moorefield, West Virginia on January 25, the FIRST Tech Challenge is a global robotics competition that inspires young people to engage in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Teams design, build, and program robots to compete in themed challenges that promote creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.
The distinguished Innovate Award recognizes ingenuity, creativity, and innovative solutions in robotics design and engineering. The judges commended the team stating, “The winner of this award is a team that exhibited remarkable innovation by developing simple but effective solutions to complex challenges. Their unique mechanisms would keep any bee out of the hive. They are sweet as honey, and it’s nuts to see their creative approach to 3D printing solutions.”
The Gunston Gearios, a collaboration of students from the school’s robotics class and its science and engineering club, ranked 10th out of 26 teams in their first full FTC competition season. The team consisted of team captain Eli Moore ’25, the software team leader was Justin McCubbin ’25, and hardware development was spearheaded by seniors Trevor Janssen, Tommy McGeady, and Owen Daffron. For many team members, this was their first year participating in FTC. Starting in September, the Gunston Gearios dedicated countless hours to designing and building their robot. They gathered for 18 Saturday workdays, each spanning four hours and fueled by donuts and pizza. Despite two weather-related competition cancellations, the team persevered, showcasing exceptional problem-solving skills and teamwork.
This year’s FTC theme, “Into the Deep,” challenged teams to design robots capable of simulating deep-sea exploration. Tasks included collecting game pieces (“samples”), navigating complex underwater environments, and climbing structures. The Gunston Gearios impressed judges with their simple yet effective solutions, leveraging 3D printing to create custom components and mechanisms tailored to the unique challenges of the competition. The team’s success was made possible by the mentorship of Dr. Ken Wilson, celebrating his 10th year guiding Gunston FTC teams, and Ryan Redding, a Gunston alumnus and former FTC competitor from Dr. Wilson’s inaugural team in 2015-2017.
Watch the Gearios win their award!
- Honey Nut Gearios
- Robotics
- Robotics 2024-2025
- STEM