Robotics Team Advances to Regionals [Video]

After placing in two area competitions, members of Hillsborough High School's Team 75:RoboRaiders robotics team will be heading to Lehigh University Thursday to square off against 50 teams from three states in the Mid-Atlantic Robotics Region Championship.

The team reached the regionals after earning the Chairman's Award at a competition in Mt. Olive and the Engineering Inspiration Award at last week's competition at Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School (see video of the report by the team's Jane Tong and Elina Dave at Monday's board of education meeting).

The Chairman's Award is considered "the most prestigious award" by FIRST Robotics, the sponsoring organization for the competitive robotics program, since the award "keep the central focus of the FIRST Robotics Competition on the goal of inspiring greater levels of respect and honor for science and technology."

The Engineering Inspiration Award "celebrates outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering and engineers, both within their school, as well as their community," according to US FIRST's website.

At both events, the team's robot battled its way into the final rounds, finishing sixth at Mt. Olive. 

Founded in 2010, Mid-Atlantic Robotics is a non-profit corporation that spans all of Delaware, New Jersey and counties in Pennsylvania from Harrisburg eastward. MAR is affiliated with FIRST Robotics, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1989 that aims to inspire youth and promote interest in science and technology through robotic competitions, with 2,500 teams and 58,000 students in the U.S. and around the world participating. Winners of the Mid-Atlantic Robotics Region Championship at Lehigh will advance to the FIRST Robotics World Championship in St. Louis in late April.

A team from Immaculata High School in Somerville, will also be competing at the MAR.