The TWHS robotics program is “a challenging, but extremely rewarding program in which our students learn to design, build, wire, and program robots through hands-on/project-based work. We learn almost entirely by trying new things and testing out ideas, rather than simply reading a text book,” as described by team president William Spark, also referred to as Sparky by peers.
Every year, the students in this program spend seven weeks working towards one goal: create a robot that can compete.
To start, members of the team shared and explored different logistical ideas. Anywhere from design to functionality was discussed. Using OnShape, an AI app builder, they prototyped and designed all of their ideas. The team came up with their final design after around two weeks of work.
“Seeing the seven weeks of boundless efforts and countless hours culminating into creation that functions as it’s intended is endlessly rewarding, similar to seeing the robot put together. More than that though, seeing so many other teams, each with their own students who share the same passion and care for robotics, is extraordinarily rare, yet fun,” stated Sparky.
Their task: create a robot that could pick up as many balls as possible, shoot them 6.5ft to the target, and be able to climb.
After creating the design, the members got to building the robot. They named it Stromboli, after the volcano, and like the pasta: a pun on its many layers. After seven weeks of building , the robot weighed 115lbs and passed all preliminary testing- including climbing.
“Layered like lasagna, REBUILT on rock-solid foundations, and ready to erupt like
Stromboli — serving up molten-hot fuel,” a flyer made by the Pastabots.
The competition team consists of 32 students, as well as multiple adult mentors, split into three teams: pitcrew, scouting crew, and the drivers. The pitcrew is in charge of the physical robot, making sure all parts are in the right spot, and everything is running smoothly. The scouts stand in the audience, cheering on their team, and watching for any other teams they may want to pair up with in the future. Lastly, the drivers are responsible for controlling the robot during the run.
One may ask, how does a 115lbs robot get carried around the state of Texas? The answer is much more complex than just a robot. The robot itself is already 115lbs, add that to the robot cart which weighs around 150lbs, plus multiple large sized tool boxes, the robotics team travels with thousands of pounds of equipment. In order to achieve this large scale operation, the team rents out a large van to drive to each competition.
“We bring our 3 large toolboxes, our robot as well as its transport cart, spare pieces and subsystems for the robot, plenty of pins/flyers/trifolds to give away for free, and some other smaller stuff. We bring almost our whole lab, and it takes a while to get everything packed into the truck, but it’s all worth it whenever you’re not missing any parts half-way across Texas,” Sparky said.
Once at the competition, the teams get to work, each performing their assigned task.
“Robotics operates essentially like a sport; our matches are played head-to-head (three vs. three) and are full contact. Full contact means that there are six 150-lb robots on the field (which is roughly the size of a basketball court) ramming
into each other at full speed while trying to score points and win the match. Matches are very loud and chaotic, but also tons of fun,” robotics adviser Lauren Hamel said.
Their first competition, and the first appearance of their bot Stromboli, will be today, March 6, 2026 as they head to Belton, Texas. At this meet they will earn district ranking points that go towards qualification in the First in Texas Championship, according to firstintexas.org.
Their next meet will be March 19 in Waco, Texas. At this meet they will also earn points towards the championship. On April 15, 2026, the state championships will be held in Houston, Texas. This annual event will allow 90 teams to showcase their hard work and compete for a spot at the FIRST Championships, according to firstintexas.org.
In the final competition for the 2026 season, on April 29-May 2, the TWHS Pastabots have a chance to compete internationally, right here in Texas. With over 600 teams from around the world, only the top 22 from state championships will qualify.
