Area 53 Robotics

The future of robotics at Eleanor Roosevelt High School

in Greenbelt, Maryland

TEAMS

Across the country, many high schools have robotics teams that build just one robot each year to compete at VEX tournaments. At Eleanor Roosevelt High School, however, the team is large enough to build 5 or 6 robots each year.

Approximately five students work on each robot, and this group of students is sometimes called a "squad" or a "team." While all the Eleanor Roosevelt students debate and swap ideas about designing, programming, and competing, it is the job of each 5-person team to design and build their own robot.

While each team has unique players that perform specific tasks, the biggest driver of success is communication and collaboration. Each team member knows what the other is doing and can step in to assist at any time.

TEAM LEADER

The team leader is usually a junior or senior with a few years of experience. Because each team is student driven, it is important to have a leader with experience who is a good communicator and knows how to delegate.

PROGRAMMER

Every team has a computer programmer and a "programmer in training." With today's heavy emphasis on computer technology, the programmer is a crucial role. Students learn a variety of computer code and collaborate with a global community.

DRIVER

The driver's ability to navigate the field is central to competition success. The driver must have a firm grasp of their robots capabilities, limitations, and how best to navigate the challenges of each match while fending off competitor robots.

BUILDER

While all team members assist in building their robot, most teams have at least one member with years of prior experience. This member will bring the best of lessons learned from prior competitions, to build the most effective robot.

NOTEBOOKER

The notebooker is a vital role as they maintain a record of the engineering design process throughout the season. The engineering notebook represents the journey your team took to develop the robot you have by the end of the season, and is crucial to winning judged awards.

EDUCATION

Shaping the Engineers of Tomorrow

AUTONOMOUS
DRIVING

Each Vex competition requires the team to program their robot to perform a series of tasks. This autonomous driving determines success in the first 15 seconds of each match, as well as the team's Skills score, which contributes to rankings and tournament invitations.

REAL-LIFE PROBLEM SOLVING

Each team engages in activities directly related to engineering careers. Students solve engineering problems and learn programming, engineering design software, and the art of teamwork, collaboration, and compromise. Team 53 represents Greenbelt and ERHS locally, statewide, and nationally at a very high level of skill and challenge. In 2023, they were the only school to bring four robots to compete at the US Open Championship in Iowa.

DESIGN AND ENGINEERING

Each year Vex Robotics issues a new game challenge. Students design, document and build their robots independently, with guidance and mentoring from faculty and parents. The design problem influences the design and final solution.

Throughout the year, the robots are built and re-built as the exploration and trials progress. At times, a complete rebuild may be necessary as a result of competition results and lessons learned.

WHY AREA 53?

Learn teamwork, programming, engineering, design, and execution.

Each team that builds a robot generally has 4 to 6 members who meet deadlines, execute trials, and adjust their software and robot as new challenges develop during the season. Not only does the Eleanor Roosevelt team have a reputation for success, going as far as to help struggling competing newcomers, but we are also great friends.