KauaiBots at the Hawaii Regional FRC Competition

In the world of robotics competitions, where well-funded teams with dozens of students and mentors dominate the field, a modest island-wide robotics group from Kauaʻi, proved that success is not just about winning but about the journey of personal growth and teamwork.

KauaiBots, which operates out of Island School's Maker Space as its home base, arrived at the Hawaii regional robotics competition in Honolulu with a robot they had tirelessly worked on for months. The team of six students from various schools across Kauaʻi, led by sophomore Sean Lottermoser (Island School), was excited and confident, despite their limited budget and resources.

Their confidence was initially shaken by early setbacks: minor shipping damage, a broken lift cable in the first qualification round, damaged wiring, and unexpected differences between their home built practice field and the actual competition field.  Additionally, the competition is run as a series of randomly selected 3 team vs. 3 team matches, and according to the First Robotics statistics website Statbotics, Kauaibots was also unfortunate enough to draw the most difficult schedule at the competition.

Faced with these challenges, the team could have given up, but they chose to persevere. Sean Lottermoser, a sophomore at Island School and the team’s captain and driver, took the lead in delegating tasks. Zoe Sokei-Ganir, an 8th grader from HTA and team coach, began strategizing and networking with other teams. Phoenix Ma, a sophomore at Island School and team technician, dove into the code between matches. Alakai Carter (an 8th grader from HTA and the team’s robot operator), Luke Vastola (7th grade from Alaka’i O Kaua’i and team human player), and Aila Carter (6th grader from Alaka’i O Kaua’i) all pitched in to prepare the robot between matches. While they weren't able to attend the competition, Omar Maes (7th grade from Alaka’i O Kaua’i), Kai Paterson (8th grade from HTA), and Ayden Karlson-Kahn (8th grade from HTA), were all integral to the team's preparation throughout the season.

By the end of qualifications on the second day, KauaiBots had proven their resilience, placing 12th out of 33 teams. Their performance caught the attention of Team Magma from Honolulu, who selected KauaiBots as their first pick for the playoff alliance along with WHEA Sharkbots from Kailua Kona who were their 2nd pick.

In the playoffs, KauaiBots fought hard, making it to the quarterfinal round before being eliminated. Despite their early trials, their alliance placed an impressive 4th in the regional competition.

KauaiBots' performance was remarkable, considering their underdog status. With an EPA score of 40, they ranked 6th out of 24 teams in Hawaii (in the top 25th percentile), 465th out of 2,937 teams in the United States (in the top 16th percentile), and 569th out of 3,704 teams worldwide (in the top 15th percentile). This is the best performance KauaiBots has ever achieved after their first competition.

However, the true success of KauaiBots lies not in their rankings but in the personal growth and teamwork demonstrated by each student. Most of these students came to robotics with limited or no prior experience and they walked away with knowledge of how to code, how to run a mill, how to rivet and how to do basic construction. They learned how to CAD, 3-D print, and how to think about design principles and game strategies. They learned to delegate, communicate, unite, and overcome challenges. As Chiem Ma, a mentor, put it, "Every student that passes through robotics is better for it. That's the win."

The team plans to continue improving their robot, adding cameras and focusing on practice before their next competition in Fresno, California, in April.