Calgary students prepare for robotics competitions in Vancouver and Las Vegas

Competition season starts next week, and robotics teams all over North America are working overtime to get their machines performing at their best.

Team 4421 Forge Robotics is getting ready to go head-to-head with some of the best robotics teams in the world at competitions in Vancouver and Las Vegas.

First Robotics hosts the Canadian Pacific Regional in Vancouver from Feb. 26 to March 1, followed by the Las Vegas Regional from March 26 to 29.

Team 4421 Forge Robotics is made up of just over 30 students from schools all over Calgary.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

Andre Ruzdijic, 15, is in his first year on the team.

He follows in the footsteps of his older brother, whose love for robotics rubbed off on him.

“He was really passionate about robots and mechatronics, and that helped him get into a really good university, so I’m hoping they’ll do the same for me,” said Ruzdijic.

Elias Yajure, 16, is in his third year with the team.

He works on the mechanical side and is one of the drivers of the robot.

Yajure says he’s excited for competition season.

“It’s an incredible environment because there’s so many people watching,” he said. “It’s such a high-intensity match that it’s just such an exhilarating feeling playing.”

Katia Nestory, 17, says she has learned all kinds of skills in her years as a member of robotics teams.

“I like to see the interplay of all of the different things you can do in robotics,” she said. “For example, there’s the design side of things, and then there’s manufacturing, and then there’s programing – and I have a little bit of expertise in each of these areas, I don’t have to fit myself into a niche and I can really just realize my full potential."

Phillip Aubrecht, 26, is one of the team’s mentors.

He has a university degree in business and is a former team member himself.

“When I was on the team, I did a lot of [computer-aided design] and I got invited by a lot of the sub-team entries to help out with fabrication,” he said.

“Other students showed me how to assemble the whole robot during pre-season, so I got to do a lot of stuff. I never did electronics, programing or business though.”

Sarah Buchwitz, 23, is also a mentor.

She is a university graduate with a degree in biomedical engineering.

Buchwitz says she had a successful experience with robotics teams while in grade school, and hopes to pay it forward by inspiring other young people as a mentor.

The team is currently making some minor changes to their robot as they prepare for the competition.

“Monday we’re shipping out,” said Yajure. “So right now it’s really, really intense.”

If Team 4421 does well at the regional events, they could earn the right to participate in a world competition taking place in Houston, Texas on April 17.