Working Holidays and This Year’s Challenge

Even during the holidays, our hardworking robotics team did not take a break. Every day, full speed ahead, we worked to prepare for our trip to Chicago for the FIRST Robotics Competition. While some were playing in the snow, our roboticists built a new cart for the robot—right from their school desks. It will be used for easier and faster transport of our heavy robot.

Painting the Cart

They also developed a path planner used for the first part of the match, where the robot drives autonomously.

Our trip is getting closer, and the team is working tirelessly to make sure everything is finished on time. In Chicago, a three-day competition awaits us, starting on March 25 and lasting until March 28, 2026. This Saturday, January 10, this year’s challenge was revealed. Our Crobotics team watched its premiere with juices and snacks, and we are ready to get to work.

Watching the Challenge Reveal

This year’s FIRST Robotics Competition 2026 challenge is a game called Rebuilt, and it is a true robotic adventure! Alliances of three teams compete for points by scoring balls into their hubs and climbing robots onto towers.

Each robot starts with eight balls and tries to score them into its team’s hub, while at the same time collecting additional balls from the field. Robots can also climb a tower—the higher the climb level, the more points are awarded. During the competition, the robot can operate autonomously or be controlled by drivers during the teleoperated phase, and teams have the opportunity to earn additional rewards by meeting special scoring thresholds.

The competition is divided into multiple phases, during which hubs are activated and deactivated, requiring strategy and quick decision-making. In the final 30 seconds of the match, the robot and all hubs are active, and the final scores are counted.

For our team, this competition represents more than just a game—it is an opportunity to develop skills, creative thinking, and teamwork. We are eagerly looking forward to the chance to present our robot and the results of our joint efforts in Chicago.

Your Crobotics Team!