In the bustling workshop of Rock Hill High School, students gather daily to design, build, and complete their creations. Prosper Engineering’s robotics teams, Robotalons (5411), Technotalons (9105), and Ladytalons (9492) work on key robot components including the climbing mechanism, elevator systems, and ball collection and scoring apparatuses, which they showcased in competition by securing their first district competition victory in Plano, marking a significant milestone for the program.
Head coach Min Smart guided the teams by strategically focusing their limited resources on perfecting fundamental tasks first – which proved essential to their victory.
“Previously, we spread ourselves too thin,” Smart said. “This season, by mastering fundamental tasks, we had time to develop extra capabilities, setting us apart.”
The mentors, including alumni Trey Collins, significantly impacted the team’s approach, consistently emphasizing simplicity and reliability in robot designs.
“The simplest designs are always the most reliable,” Collins said. “Our role as mentors is to help students avoid mistakes we’ve already encountered.”
This year’s unique challenge for the competition was named “Reefscape,” requiring teams to manipulate coral-like PVC pipes and algae props. Senior Puranjay Prashanth, serving as the drive coach, highlighted the intense collaborative spirit of the teams.
“Individual teams specialized in specific subsystems,” Prashanth said “Yet our collaboration allowed us to create a robot far superior to what a single team could accomplish alone.”
Among those crucial to the robot’s technical success was junior Bosco Qiu, who played an instrumental role in soldering circuit boards.
“Soldering can feel tedious, but knowing my work directly impacts our robot’s performance motivates me to get it perfect every time,” Qiu said. “It’s satisfying to see our circuit boards powering everything we built.”
Game day proved to be the true test of their meticulous preparation. Senior Isaac Lee, captain of the veteran team Robotalons and robot driver, reflected on the intense competition atmosphere and the significance of this victory.
“This was our first district competition this year, and actaully the first time we ever won a district competition,” Lee said. “Beyond just our bot being successful and winning, seeing how much our team has evolved over the four years I’ve been on the team was amazing. It was incredible to witness not only our technical achievement but also our team’s growth.”
Beyond competition, members reflect on the personal contributions the program has made to themselves. Junior Aryan Kammili, programming captain for Technotalons, emphasized the personal growth experienced through robotics.
“Beyond the tech skills, the bonds I created with teammates have made robotics genuinely rewarding, ” Kammili said. “Our three-team structure requires intensive coordination, teaching me communication and professionalism skills that extend beyond robotics.”
Lee said he felt the same way, expressing the lifelong benefits gained through participation in the program.
“Robotics taught me how to lead, how to communicate, and how to persist,” Lee said. “These skills prepare you for more than just competitions, they prepare you for life.”
