Hillsborough’s Robotics Team at the high school level has been successful in keeping up with their projects throughout the Coronavirus pandemic. Despite not being able to work together in-person, their weekly virtual meetings help them stay on top of their various activities and designs. 

Last spring, the seniors at the time missed out on their final competition season with the team, and their robot was not yet completed before quarantine. Now, the current seniors on the team are hoping that they do not miss out on their final year as well, and are trying to keep the group occupied with numerous fundraisers and virtual lessons. 

For example, they put together a drive during the summer for COVID-19 protection materials such as masks, and they had new participants build additional protective gear to then donate too. They also set up virtual group sessions over the summer for incoming freshmen who were interested in the program to learn more about what it entails and their new responsibilities if they chose to join. 

Most recently, they held a canned food drive for the Hillsborough Food Pantry and collected over 250 cans of food in only a few days to donate. For many members, this new virtual experience as a team is very unique because this group spends endless hours and nights together each school week in preparation for their competitions.

“I was truly amazed to see how our collective efforts were able to adapt as a team-a traditionally hands-on group-to the world’s current situation. Through countless emails and introductory videos and informational sessions, we were able to successfully recruit the next generation of leaders in science and technology, and continue working on our season’s virtual plans”, senior VP Nihal Saxena said about the unique modifications the team has made over the last few months. 

Overall, the team is proud to continue making their efforts count in our school and town communities, and hopefully, they get the opportunity to continue this together in-person later this year.