Teams Compete to Make Best “Bot”

SUFFERN – There were 48 teams from two states and seven countries entered in the Hudson Valley Regional FIRST Robotics competition over the weekend, and, if the enthusiasm, excitement and sheer energy of the hundreds of competitors and spectators was any indication, there were no losers.

“It’s not about winning — it’s about building the best ‘bot’ you can and helping other teams build the best bots they can,” explained 18-year-old Jeremy Shikarides, a senior at Carmel High School and a member of team 5943, the “Bad Used Gears.” “This is as close to real-world engineering as kids my age can get. I got to meet people from all over the world to share ideas and help each other out in all kinds of ways. That’s what this is really all about.”

Premium Employers