Innovators Shine at Robotics Competition

On October 25, the Bionic Black Hawks hosted their annual Bloomfield Girls Robotics Competition at Bloomfield Hills High School, welcoming female robotics teams from 28 Michigan high schools. When the tradition began in 2012, the BHHS event was the first girls-only robotics competition in the state of Michigan and it has continued to inspire young women in STEM ever since.

Leading the Bionic Black Hawks BGRC team were Abigail Patterson (grade 12), Helena Miller (grade 12), Anya Holowko (grade 10), and Sophia Stearns (grade 11). Supporting team members were Jena Gayar (grade 11), Madison McEwen (grade 9), and Annika Chopra (grade 9). 

The team competed in seven matches that day, each one pitting three teams (“alliance partners”) against three opposing teams. Every match was unique, as rotating alliance partners required the teams to develop new cooperation strategies to accommodate each other’s strengths and weaknesses. On top of that, unexpected issues sometimes forced a change in plans. 

During one match, a wire on the Bionic Black Hawks’ robot came loose and disabled a crucial robotic arm motion. The girls quickly switched to a defensive strategy, repositioning the robot to block opponents from completing a required task. With the next match less than 30 minutes away, the team rushed the robot back to the “pit” (robot repair area) to assess the problem. Team members Patterson, Holowko, and Miller got to work, and within minutes the arm was functioning again. “It was a pretty easy fix,” Holowko explained later. “One of our wires just kind of came out of its connection.” Supporting pit team member Gayar shared that it’s not unusual for robots to get damaged in competition, and wires can get caught on moving parts.

Hosting a robotics competition is a major effort. The entire BHHS robotics team, along with many dedicated parents, helped set up the venue late into the evening on Friday and returned to volunteer posts on Saturday. But the driving, programming, and troubleshooting on competition day were left entirely to the girls. Teammates Miller and Sterns agreed that despite the hard work involved in setup and teardown, BGRC is always fun and definitely worth it. 

While the BHHS team didn’t win this year’s competition, their outstanding performance and teamwork were truly impressive. Best of luck to these skilled young women and all Bionic Black Hawks as they gear up for a new robotics season in January!