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Hello, friends and supporters of Norsemen Robotics!
Can you believe it? Another robotics season is here! For the next eight weeks, our team members (students from Suttons Bay, Northport, and Lake Leelanau St. Mary high schools) will be designing, strategizing, and constructing this year’s competition robot.
THE GAME
The 2025 FIRST Robotics Competition challenge was released on January 4th, signaling the beginning of another action-packed season! This year’s ocean-themed game requires our robot to remove “algae” (large kickballs) and add “coral” (4-inch PVC pipe) to a large “reef” structure. Additionally, at the end of the game, it must be able to grasp onto a steel cage and lift itself up to return to the "ocean surface". To better understand this year’s competition challenge, please follow this link to the game animation: FIRST Robotics 2025 REEFSCAPE
THE PROCESS
Even though we have only had one week since the game was released, the team has been hard at work. We approach the build season through these principals:
- Understanding: First, as a group, we talk through the main aspects of the game, including scoring potential, penalty rules, and the field layout. This ensures all team members have equal understanding as we move into brainstorming.
- Prioritizing: Next, we make a list of every task in the game which our robot could potentially accomplish, discussing the complexities of each. Using this evaluation, we can narrow down the robot functions which would be most advantageous to pursue.
- Planning & Prototyping: Finally, armed with whiteboards, cardboard, scrap wood, and whatever else can be found, we divide into teams to begin laying out design ideas and prototyping potential components.
MEET OUR TEAM
We are very excited to invite our sponsors and supporters to visit our build space as we create this year’s robot. We would love to meet you and show you what we do! Our team meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-5:30, and Saturdays 10-3. Please contact mentor Emma Grant at (231) 633-9226 or elgrant231@gmail.com to set up a visit time.
SUPPORTING NORSEMEN ROBOTICS
As always, we are incredibly grateful for the support that our community shows each year. To continue your support of our team, please view the attached 2025 Sponsor letter, which further details our goals for the season. If you have already donated this season, we thank you again for your support! This program would not be possible without the help of our communities.
With much gratitude
Members of Team 3688