Local Robotics Team Receives Inspire Award

A local robotics team from Carlmont High School, The Metal That Moves™ (TM³), received the Inspire Award for their overall excellence in every part of a robotics competition on Dec. 8.

The team members: Adam Cobb, James George, Patrick Hsu, Michael Rawcliffe, Andrew Yazhgur, and Everett Yee made their robot, STELLA (Suspended Toaster with Extending Lightsaber Lift Assembly) 2.0 Model Trolling Trolley (TT). 

The Inspire Award is only given to a team "that truly embodies 'the challenge' of the FIRST (For Inspiration Recognition Science Technology) Tech Challenge (FTC) program" and is often referred to as the highest honor any team can be awarded.

Yazhgur said, "I feel very excited because this is my first year on a robotics team and it's so cool that we've already won an award."

The team last year got second place and got to work this year for their first place in George's garage right away. 

When it came time to the competition, everyone on the team had matching team t-shirts and went in there with a newly designed robot with an upgraded name.

In the final matches of the competition, they had an alliance with another team, the M-Set Cuttlefish. While the M-Set Cuttlefish actually won the match competition, TM³ received the Inspiration Award for helping that team win as well as other work in the competition.

Cobb said, "We can't thank our fellow team enough."

With their award, the team advances to the NorCal Championships.

George simply said, "It was worth giving up my garage.