A year had passed since Zebrotics last participated in the Washtenaw Area Pick-Up Robotics competition, and with a new team and reborn vigor, they were determined to score well.

This year’s game featured a rather simple task of loading a crate filled with books onto a large bookshelf placed in the middle of the field. The higher the level, the more points earned. In addition, there was a bonus yoga ball which could be passed through the gap in the middle of the two bookshelves for even more points.

“Our main goal was to give all the new members and everyone that wanted to a chance to drive the robot,” said team member, Dom Nazario.

The team’s robot featured a simple lift with extendable poles attached to the sides in order to hold the crates by their handles. Even with many skilled seniors leaving, the team felt prepared to win. Despite code malfunctions and broken robot pieces, the team was able to place fourth out of the 12 participating teams.

“We killed it,” Nazario said. “Even though our robot wasn’t the greatest and we didn’t have many members, we still killed it.”