ELK GROVE, Calif. — For the first time in nine years, Wolfpack Robotics qualifies to go to the World Championships. But, it's not going to be cheap to get there.
The team, based out of Cosumnes Oaks High School, hopes to raise $10,000 to help get them to Houston where they'll do battle with their robot at the "First Championship" competition — against the best teams from around the world.
"Though we have won off-season events and various awards over the years, we have never qualified to go to the World Championships," the team shared on their GoFundMe page. "That all changed this week when we won the Sacramento Regional competition...All of the incredibly long hours and sacrifice were repaid with gold around our necks, a blue banner for our shop, trophies for the cabinet and a renewed enthusiasm for engineering."
Every year the competition releases a game with a certain amount of tasks. Each team has six weeks to build a robot that can complete those tasks as quickly as possible.
An instructor told ABC10, the amount of dedication that goes into this robotics team, is incredible.
"We are here six hours a night after school - three to four nights a week. We're here on Saturdays eight to 10 hours a day," he said. "These guys are dedicated, if they didn't love it, they wouldn't do it."
It's a steep price to compete at Worlds, with registration alone at $5,000. Then the team has to truck their tools and gear, plus pay for individual transportation, rooms and meals.
COST BREAKDOWN
- Tournament entry fees: $5,000
- Transport of tools & equipment to Houston: $1,000
- Travel costs: Any funds raised above $6,000 will go to help offset travel costs to Houston and back.
Wolfpack Robotics will compete at First Championship between April 17 and 20. Anyone interested in helping them get there is asked to contribute via their GoFundMe page.
"It's amazing, it's hours of work," a teammate said in an interview with ABC10. "So when we found out we were going to Worlds, it was a great feeling that all of our blood, sweat and tears is actually going into something that won."