蓝莓视频

Three 蓝莓视频 ninth graders from across California have teamed up to do something extraordinary: build, program, and compete in a national robotics competition. Noah, Katherine, and Matthew, known online as Robodawg, Ant 6 o鈥檆lock, and Kaifire, will travel to Reston, Virginia this June to represent California in the 2025 K12 Robotics League National Championship.听

The trio, who call themselves the Cogsmiths, are first-time robotics competitors. Their journey began when Noah invited Ant 6 o鈥檆lock and Matthew to form a team. 鈥淚 asked two new classmates, Ant 6 o鈥檆lock and Matthew, 鈥楬ey, would you like to do this with me?鈥欌�� Noah recalled. 鈥淭hey said, 鈥榃ell, I don’t have any coding experience, but sure, let’s give it a shot.鈥� And the rest is history.鈥� 

While Noah had some experience with robotics kits and coding, Ant 6 o鈥檆lock and Matthew were completely new to it. 鈥淚 already had some experience with coding, so I showed the team how to open the program and get started. Once we got the basics down, everyone started figuring things out really quickly,鈥� said Noah.  

Ant 6 o鈥檆lock turned to online tutorials to learn. 鈥淵ouTube had a lot of things to share. Great teachers, great tips,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where I got most of my information, and then I elaborated with my own ideas.鈥� Matthew had some exposure to block coding from elementary school, which helped him get started. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot simpler once you learn what each step does,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was confusing at first. But once you figure it out, it all makes sense.鈥� 

Though new to robotics, Noah and Matthew had previously competed together in the as part of a team called the Banana Council. They advanced to the final round in Denver, gaining valuable experience in collaboration and problem-solving.听

The Cogsmiths met weekly over the past few months on video calls and stayed connected through group chats. They programmed virtual robots using simulation software, shared and iterated on each other鈥檚 code, and tackled increasingly difficult challenges involving sensors, mazes, and obstacle navigation. 

Each student brought a different strength to the team. As team captain, Noah, also known as Robodawg, helped lead the technical side with his previous experience. Ant 6 o鈥檆lock discovered a passion for design, creativity, and coding, naming her robot Spike and designing the team鈥檚 custom T-shirts. 鈥淎lthough I came to this competition without any previous experience, I harnessed complex coding translated by mathematical equations, YouTube videos, and experimentation to get my robot to glide and twirl on the map. I now proudly call myself a coder,鈥� she said proudly.  

Matthew, also known as Kaifire, brought strong enthusiasm and a growing interest in engineering. 鈥淚 am a very competitive person,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 like winning. I think this will be a blast and a chance to learn a lot.鈥� 

Noah鈥檚 dad, Felipe, supports the group as their coach. 鈥淚 have been encouraging the kids to break things down step by step,鈥� he said. Felipe helped keep the team organized, guided communication with other parents, and brought energy to their team chats with encouragement and digital confetti. 

The students and their families are looking forward to the championship and finally meeting in person after months of online teamwork. They are planning shared meals, group outings, and time to celebrate their accomplishments together. 

鈥淚 definitely absorbed all the love for it,鈥� said Ant 6 o鈥檆lock. 鈥淚 really admired how everything worked together between the robot and the software.鈥� 

鈥淭he best part is doing this with friends,鈥� added Matthew. 鈥淲e are going to make the most of it.鈥� 

Noah, Ant 6 o鈥檆lock, and Matthew represented 蓝莓视频 on June 3 at the . We are incredibly proud of the Cogsmiths and wish them the best of luck as they take on this exciting final challenge.听