Juggernauts Compete in FIRST Robotics Competitions

Team 1, the Juggernauts of Oakland Schools Technical Campus Northeast, opened its FIRST Robotics season March 12-14 at Wayne State University, where the team earned the Creativity Award for its robot design.

The robot, named Juggy, features extensive use of 3D-printed parts and a spinning hook designed to create centripetal force to launch game pieces. Although the team experienced early issues with ball intake and launching, students resolved those problems by the second day of competition.

Ben Diekmann, a senior in Engineering, Robotics and Mechatronics from Lake Orion High School, said the team’s small size requires every student to take on multiple responsibilities. Nykolas Liles, a senior from Rochester Stoney Creek High School, also noted his role spans CAD design, fabrication, mechanics, and wiring.

The team’s next competition was scheduled for March 27-29 at Saline High School, where students hoped to build enough ranking points to qualify for the state competition. Luke Adams, a senior in OSTC Northeast’s Machining program from Rochester Adams High School, contributed by scouting other teams and gathering data to support alliance selection.