History

During our 2023–2024 year (September 2023–August 2024), the team logged more than 500 hours together and had more than 75 active students participating and learning. 

Building & Learning from Robots Together

I don’t use kids to build robots. I use robots to build kids.
—Dean Kamen, founder of FIRST Robotics

The single most important and effective educational activity of the Pioneer Robotics program is our “build” session. During the active parts of the year we hold these hands-on, student-led meetings multiple times per week (up to 5 times per week in the winter) in our “build space” and shop at Pioneer High School. Over the 2-5 hour session, students collaborate with each other to design, build, wire, program, and test one or more robots as well as plan projects, organize fundraisers, recruit sponsors, develop marketing materials, and prepare graphic designs for all of our materials. Two or more adult volunteers help facilitate each session and provide guidance and training when the students are stuck.

This year also marked the first time we’ve been able to organize a summer session designed to welcome incoming 9th graders to the program and give returning students a chance to learn different specialities. The summer session was a success, with more than 20 new students joining the program.

Build sessions accounted for 65% of our total time as an organization during the 2023–2024 year.

Competition & Cooperation

Our program year is divided into four periods: 

• Pre-season, for training, outreach, and informal competitions (September–December)

• FRC season, for focused problem solving and formal competitions (January–March)

• FRC postseason, for travel to elite competitions (April–May)

• Offseason, for expanding the program, outreach, and informal competitions (June–August)

Robotics competitions, both inside the FRC system and outside, provide students an opportunity to come together and create a new robot to solve a new challenge each year. We participate in competitions that blend a cooperative aspect and a competitive aspect, with the most common setup for matches being a randomly selected three robots versus three robots. Competitions also introduce new challenges for the students to solve and learn from, including ad hoc performance analysis (crucial in later phases), competitive research, and time-sensitive repair.

FRC competitions are specifically designed to reward student achievement and interest in a range of skills across STEAM through their awards system. During the 2023–2024 FRC season, the Pioneer Robotics program won District Event outright and received three awards:

• Autonomous Award

• Innovation in Control Award

• Imagery Award in honor of Jack Kamen (at the State level)

The team’s performance during the regular FRC season led to an invitation to the FIRST in Michigan State Championship at SVSU and then our first ever trip to Houston for the FIRST Championship as one of the top 600 teams in the world. We took the whole team to SVSU and a subset of the team to Houston.

Competitions accounted for 30% of our total time as an organization during the 2023–2024 year.

Robots in the World

While the students appreciate the intensity and dedication required by the competition season, the Pioneer Robotics program also encourages students to connect with the wider community. We create these connections primarily through volunteering, fundraising, and sponsor development.

During the 2023–2024 season, our students worked to inspire and teach younger students about STEAM specialties and skills. We did this primarily through two programs: student mentorship and outreach events. Ann Arbor has been trying to build sustainable robotics programs inside local elementary and middle schools, so students volunteered throughout the year at various schools to share their knowledge of robotics and problem solving. One example: students from our team worked as student teachers for a week-long summer robotics camp for underprivileged youths in the Ann Arbor school district. 

Our outreach events focus around hands-on, informative activities that try to educate kids about a variety of engineering concepts. These events included two through the Ann Arbor District Library (WAPUR and Maker Expo) and one through the Ann Arbor Public Schools (PLTW and CTE Expo).

The Pioneer Robotics program also works to support robotics in all of Washtenaw county by building and donating “field units” (elements required for the FRC game) to the Chelsea Robotics Center.

As a team we have also partnered with other organizations to improve student skills and training, most notably helping students take Maker Works classes on a wide range of tools and organizing a student tour of the University of Michigan Robotics Institute.

Fundraising and outreach accounted for 5% of our total time as an organization during the 2023–2024 year.