We are the Blackbots, the national team representing Aotearoa in the upcoming FIRST® Global Challenge. This year, the students selected for the team are: Mami Koizumi, Kayla Mitchell and Gracie Lewis, from Woodford House, and Angus Logan, Lincoln Mackie, Bhupinderpreet Singh, Ryan Wright and Aken Guruge, from Hastings Boys’ High School. All of these students have at least two years of experience in the FIRST® Tech Challenge.

Coming from a country that thrives on agriculture, the topic of Feeding the Future is particularly relevant and close to us, especially after the recent devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. This disaster, having destroyed a significant portion of agricultural infrastructure (a loss of a projected $1.5 billion NZD), allows us to rebuild in a more sustainable way, making the industry more resilient and better prepared to overcome future adversity.

A number of our members have recently been given the opportunity to visit multiple agricultural facilities, one of which used state-of-the-art machinery including robotic forklifts that use sensors to improve worksite safety. Among other processes that improve efficiency, minimise wastage, and promote sustainability, this demonstrates how robotics can be applied to real-world situations. This is only one story; many companies were affected and had to overcome adversities such as the cyclone, forcing them to rebuild in a more innovative way.

Our schools value respect, a moral that we abide by and will present with pride at the competition. We look forward to upholding the mana (spirit) of our schools throughout the entire event, as well as the opportunity to meet people from other cultures and work as a team to showcase our skills as the engineers, coders, and architects of the future. Innovative, creative, and determined to shine, we are Kiwis, we adapt and thrive!

Thank you to our supporters!

Team Media