As a rookie team, we entered our first FTC season with zero competitive experience and maximum determination. Three qualifiers later, we're competing at the PA State Championship.
We competed in three qualifiers across Central Pennsylvania. Here's how each one unfolded.
Our very first competitive FTC event. The team arrived with months of hard work and a robot built from scratch. Our autonomous routine ran cleanly and our drivers executed the strategy we had practiced. We advanced to the playoffs — and the judges recognized our team with the Judges' Choice Award.
Our defense strategy came into its own at Qualifier #2. We identified our alliance's weaknesses, adapted our tele-op game plan, and played physical, legal defense that disrupted opponent scoring. Our highest qualifier score of 223 pts was a testament to our consistency and execution.
The qualifier that changed everything. With each event, our robot improved, our drivers sharpened, and our teamwork deepened. At Qualifier #3, we punched our ticket to the Pennsylvania State Championship — making us one of the few rookie teams in the state to earn that honor.
3 / 3
Made playoffs
Every qualifier we entered
262 pts
Highest scrimmage score
Top performance overall
223 pts
Highest qualifier score
Best match performance
1st
Judges' Choice Award
Won at Qualifier #1
This Saturday and Sunday, Thunder Busters competes among the top FTC teams from across Pennsylvania. Every robot on that field earned its spot — and so did we.
We didn't get to State by luck. These are the capabilities that set us apart on the field.
Our Headlock Anti-Defense Mechanism lets us score consistently even when opponents are playing defense against us — a critical advantage in elimination rounds.
Thunder Bolt can score up to 9 artifacts per match from both close range and distance, including the ability to open the gate once or twice. Highest qualifier score: 223 pts.
Bezier curve path planning with an odometry pinpoint computer gives us sub-centimeter accuracy in auto — paired with AprilTag auto-aim and PID control for reliable scoring.
With Mecanum holonomic drive and a dynamic deflector system, we adapt offense or defense based on alliance needs — a sought-after pick at every event we entered.
