Link to Middle School Robotics Web page.

Link to Upper School Robotics Web page.

Robotics is an extracurricular program designed to get students involved with real-world engineering, computer science, design, math and applied physics. The team and project-management skills learned here last a lifetime. Robotics starts in Middle School and continues through Upper School.

Participants in both the Middle School and Upper School programs design robots for entry in their respective FIRST Robotics competitions. Middle School participation is not required before becoming involved with the Upper School program.

Middle School students design and program robots using Lego Mindstorms parts and controllers. Teams of three or four students each form at the beginning of the school year and complete their work in time for local competitions held in mid-December and state competitions in mid-January. Volunteers from Catlin Gabel’s community and faculty run the Robotics program after school. For more information about the Middle School Robotics program visit the Middle School Robotics Web site.

Upper School Robotics also starts near the beginning of the school year with warm-up projects to learn the skills needed for competitions in January. Students then have six intense weeks to create a robot for entry in the nationwide FIRST Robotics competition. Along the way, sub-teams get involved in mechanical, software, and electronics design and fabrication, Web site development, animation, computer-aided design, video production, marketing, finance, graphic design, and public relations. The 130 lb robots are built from scratch using aluminum, steel, electronics, and pneumatics. They are programmed in C. In many ways, Upper School Robotics program operates like a small company with students leading various departments. Volunteers from the faculty, local industry, and the School community lend assistance and teach new concepts as needed. For more information about the Upper School Robotics program visit the student-designed Upper School Robotics Web site,

Selected Upper School Robotics participants also act as mentors for students in the Middle School Robotics program.