In his fourth year of Red Alert Robotics, senior Josh Stevenson is transitioning into a leadership role as Engineering Captain. 

“As Engineering Captain, my biggest responsibility is to make sure our robot is built correctly,” Stevenson said. “My job is to correct any mistakes within the construction process before the competition season starts. I adjust our robot as needed until it is completed.”

During construction season, Stevenson handles most of the technical process. 

“My job is to do the building, or hands-on process with the robot. I handle a lot of the construction process and the technological advances that must be made throughout the season,” Stevenson said. 

This year he is also working with the scouting aspect of his team. This involves sitting in the stands during competitions to look for possible alliances in later matches. By teaming up with other schools, robotics teams are more efficient and increase their chances of winning competitions. 

“We have people who note the performance of each robot during the match and count stats,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson also has the responsibility of preparing his team for this year’s game challenge. Each year, robotics team across the country compete in a specific task.

“This season I am looking forward to seeing the evolution of our robot from the design all the way to the final build throughout the season,” Stevenson said. “I think the game this year is very interesting because it involves shooting balls, which I have never done. Our robots’ job is to shoot 7 inch balls into pots on a wall that vary in length and size.” 

However, robotics isn’t all about competing for Stevenson. 

“I really enjoy working with my teammates, because we are able to work together to see a difficult project make it to the finish line,” Stevenson said. “We also get to know each other better throughout the season, and are able to learn a lot about robotics. On Fridays after the meeting, I go with four of the other team members to Steak n’ Shake where we talk about how the week building process went.”

Stevenson says he is hoping to be a good leader for his team so they are able to successfully complete the challenge. 

“This season I’m very excited for the game, because I think it will be fun to watch and participate in. I also hope that my team can learn from me throughout,” Stevenson said.