Trip to Chicago

Our robotics team once again took part in a prestigious international competition. This March we set off for chilly, far-away Chicago looking for new experiences — and a shot at success. We’d spent months preparing for the event, and our adventure began on March 21st.

View of Chicago

The journey itself was long and tiring nearly 20 hours of travel and the bland airplane food became our only reliable source of energy. When we finally arrived, exhaustion hit hard. A few teammates decided to nap to recharge, but that turned out to be a mixed blessing: they woke up at 3 a.m. the next morning. The rest of the crew, who didn’t give in to fatigue, were in slightly better shape.

Plane food

The following day we devoted to exploring the city. Stepping up from the subway into the open air left an impression none of us will forget: towering skyscrapers, a mosaic of faces and accents, and a culture that felt completely different. Chicago was beautiful, and we dived into it — wandering famous streets, popping into shops, and eventually arriving at the iconic sculpture known as “The Bean.” We snapped a few photos and kept walking.

The Bean

On our third day we woke early and strolled through the Windy City again. That afternoon we went shopping at an American outlet and were surprised by how much cheaper many items were than back home. We bought a lot and spent a fair amount of US dollars. A few team members visited a local high school that welcomed us and gave us space to reassemble our robot, which we had shipped apart for transport.

Robot

Day four brought adrenaline: the first day of preparations for the competition. We managed to put the robot together but couldn’t get onto the field — it still needed work, so we skipped practice matches. The day ended with the inspection, a crucial step to qualify for the event. This year the inspection went smoothly, and we were cleared to compete.

The next day marked the start of the competition and our first match. Unfortunately, the robot fell apart during that opening match, but our quick and nimble team fixed it back in the pit and we returned to the field. We missed a few matches later because of technical issues, but in the third match we scored our first win.

That victory wouldn’t have been possible without other teams who lent us parts and tools. They helped us when we needed it most, showing how teamwork and community matter in robotics.

With another team

On the third day of the competition we had three more matches, followed by the playoff selection. In the playoffs, the top eight teams by points pick alliance partners (teams of three) to compete; losers are eliminated and the winning alliance goes on to the world championship in Houston. Unfortunately, Crobotics wasn’t chosen for an alliance this time but that didn’t dampen our spirits.

After the final competition day we still had two free days before our flight. We visited a large science museum, sampled famous American fast-food chains, and kept exploring the city. We also took a train to Milwaukee, in the neighboring state, where we toured the Harley-Davidson Museum and other notable sights, all of which we enjoyed.

Chicago was cold the whole time, so we wore winter coats every day. We also spent many evenings relaxing and having fun in the hotel pool — it became our nightly hangout.

On our last day we wandered a large university campus with its many buildings and studios, then headed to the airport in the afternoon and boarded the plane home. After another roughly 20 hours of travel we arrived tired some of us a bit disappointed but full of new friendships and experiences.