Engineering at Work
Our Robots
Every season, six weeks. Every robot, a new challenge. Here's the lineup of machines we've built and competed with since 2014.
Hopper Hal
FRC Game: REBUILT™ presented by Haas
Hopper Hal was designed for REBUILT™ — a fuel-collection game where robots gather FUEL and score it in their HUB while concluding matches by climbing their TOWER. Hal features a precision shooter mechanism with Limelight vision targeting for accurate HUB scoring, an Allen-Bradley beacon for field awareness, and sponsor-covered polycarbonate side panels.
Drive Train
Swerve Drive
Key Mechanisms
Precision shooter, Limelight vision, FUEL intake
Vision
Limelight camera
2026 Competition Results
Rocket City Regional (Huntsville): Rank 39 • Smoky Mountains Regional: Rank 24 — Semi-finalists
Elevator Ed
FRC Game: Reefscape
Elevator Ed — named for the tall elevator mechanism at the heart of the robot — was built for Reefscape, a game centered on scoring coral on a reef structure and climbing. Ed featured a vertical elevator with a manipulator arm, polycarbonate panels lined with sponsor logos, and a compact swerve drivetrain. The team’s strongest official season to date: two Semi-Final appearances and a Creativity Award.
Drive Train
Swerve Drive
Key Mechanisms
Vertical elevator, coral manipulator arm
2025 Competition Results
St. Louis Regional: Rank 16 — Semi-finalists • Miami Valley Regional: Rank 6 — Semi-finalists • Creativity Award (Rockwell Automation) • RiverBOaT Rumble: Finalists (offseason)
Perspective
FRC Game: Crescendo
Perspective was built for Crescendo — a game centered on shooting rings (Notes) into Speakers and Amps. The robot featured a shooter mechanism for scoring rings, intake, and mechanisms for the end-game Stage climb.
Drive Train
Swerve Drive
Key Mechanisms
Shooter with intake, arm/elevator for Amp and Stage
Competition Results
Cleveland Regional: Rank 27 • Miami Valley Regional: Rank 44 • RiverBOaT Rumble: Rank 6 — Semi-finalists (offseason)
Actuator Alf
FRC Game: Charged Up — 2023
Built on a swerve drive chassis, our 2023 robot featured a tall pivoting arm with a compliant-wheel claw to score cones and cubes across all three grid levels. An LED matrix panel provided real-time human player signaling. Competed at Miami Valley and Smoky Mountains regionals, reaching the playoffs at Smoky Mountains as the 1st pick of Alliance 8.
Drive Train
Swerve Drive
Key Mechanisms
Tall pivoting arm, compliant-wheel claw, LED matrix panel
Competition Results
Miami Valley Regional: Rank 44/50 • Smoky Mountains Regional: Rank 20 (5W–7L) • Selected as Alliance 8 (1st pick, capt. 4576) • Eliminated Round 2, Double Elimination Bracket
Intentional
FRC Game: Rapid React
Intentional was built for Rapid React — a game centered on shooting cargo (balls) into upper and lower hubs and climbing the hangar. The robot featured a mecanum-wheel intake that funneled cargo into a central elevator, paired with a fixed-hood shooter using counter-rotating wheels for precise trajectory control. Competed at Greater Pittsburgh and Smoky Mountains regionals, earning the Creativity Award at both events.
Drive Train
6-Wheel Tank (dropped center)
Key Mechanisms
Mecanum intake, elevator, fixed-hood shooter
Competition Results
FIRST Robotics Creativity Award
Turret Tim
FRC Game: Infinite Recharge at Home
Turret Tim returned for the 2021 at-home challenge format, where teams completed skills-based tasks independently rather than competing head-to-head. The team earned the Excellence in Engineering Award and produced a Dean's List Finalist — a strong showing in an unusual season.
Key Mechanisms
Turret-mounted shooter, power cell intake
Competition Results
Excellence in Engineering Award • Dean's List Finalist
Turret Tim
FRC Game: Infinite Recharge
Turret Tim was built for Infinite Recharge — a game centered on shooting power cells into goals and climbing. The robot featured a rotating turret shooter and a ball intake. The team had its strongest regular season to date, earning a World Championship bid at Miami Valley — before COVID-19 cancelled the remainder of the season.
Key Mechanisms
Rotating turret shooter, power cell intake
Competition Results
Miami Valley Regional: 8th seed captain, finalist • World Championship Qualifier
Chungo
FRC Game: Destination: Deep Space
Meet Chungo — WCRJ's 2019 competition robot. Built for Destination: Deep Space, Chungo earned the Engineering Excellence Award at the Miami Valley Regional and advanced to the semi-finals at Smoky Mountains.
Key Mechanisms
Elevator arm with ball & hatch panel manipulator
Competition Results
Engineering Excellence Award — Miami Valley Regional • Semi-finalist — Smoky Mountains Regional
Leverage
FRC Game: FIRST Power Up
Leverage was built for FIRST Power Up — a game centered on scoring power cubes on switches and the scale, and climbing. The robot featured a tall elevator arm for reaching the high scale, making it one of the team’s most competitive builds. Leverage captained the 3rd alliance at Smoky Mountains, ranked 1st in offensive power, and earned a spot at the World Championship in Detroit.
Key Mechanisms
Tall elevator arm, cube intake, end-game climb
Competition Results
Semi-finalist • 3rd alliance captain, 1st in offensive power — Smoky Mountains • World Championship, Detroit
Bot Sterling
FRC Game: FIRST STEAMworks
Bot Sterling carried WCRJ to the semi-finals at the Smoky Mountains Regional during the 2017 STEAMworks season, ranking 4th in offense. A strong performance that laid the groundwork for the team's World Championship run the following year.
Key Mechanisms
Fuel shooter, gear mechanism, rope climb
Competition Results
Semi-finalist — Smoky Mountains Regional • Ranked 4th in offense
The Catcher
FRC Game: FIRST Stronghold — 2nd Season
The Catcher was WCRJ’s second-year robot, built for FIRST Stronghold — a game centered on breaching defenses and scoring boulders. Featuring a curved arm with a ball-gripping claw, The Catcher showed the team’s rapid growth from their rookie year. This season also saw the launch of the team’s GET (Girl’s Engineering Time) outreach program, still running today.
Drive Train
Tank Drive
Key Mechanisms
Curved arm with ball-gripping claw for boulder scoring
Competition Results
Rookie Inspiration Award • Highest Rookie Seed • Launched GET (Girl’s Engineering Time) program
Stacker Jack
FRC Game: Recycle Rush — Rookie Season
Stacker Jack was WCRJ’s very first competition robot, built during the team’s founding rookie season. Designed for Recycle Rush — a game centered on stacking totes and capping them with recycling containers — the robot featured a sturdy elevator mechanism for building tall tote stacks. The team earned three awards in their debut season, including the Rookie Inspiration Award and Highest Rookie Seed.
Drive Train
Tank Drive
Key Mechanisms
Elevator for tote stacking, container cap
Competition Results
Rookie Inspiration Award • Highest Rookie Seed • 3 awards total in debut season