The BEAST Robotics team recently won their consecutive regional competition at the Minnesota 10,000 Lakes Regional. Out of the 55 teams that attended the regional, the team was ranked first overall in the qualifying matches. In addition to their overall win, the team also won the Quality Award and the Industrial Design Award, which celebrate the most proficient and well designed robot.

Sofia Koenig (11), who is the mechanical lead and a member of the drive team on the BEAST Robotics team, spoke on the previous tournament and the upcoming World Championships. Sofia has competed on the team since her freshman year and plans on continuing into her senior year. She notes that the overall environment of the team is very engaging and enjoyable. She brought up the notion of “gracious professionalism-” a phrase commonly attributed to FIRST Robotics competitions, commemorating high-quality work and respecting others. 

As for changes over the course of the season, Sofia believes that the year COVID-19 hit was both a curse and a blessing. The team struggled in the beginning, but were able to significantly improve their communication upon moving virtual. It became easier for individuals to collaborate in a hybrid setting with some virtual and others in person. The team now relies on Onshape, a product development platform, to communicate with each other. 

In terms of preparations for the upcoming World Championships, the team does not intend on making any significant changes to the robot because of its acclaimed design. Furthermore, the team is excited to travel to Houston, Texas for the tournament. The team is currently ranked 36th in the world and the odds are stacking in their favor. The tournament will be live streamed on Twitch where anyone can log in to catch the upcoming action and support the BEAST robotics team!