In its 10th year, the OHS FIRST Robotics team is embarking on their best season yet. The Alotobots #5152 as they’re called, are headed to the State competition for the 5th consecutive time with high hopes of qualifying for a 3rd consecutive trip to Worlds in Houston. “We definitely have a great chance to go again. We need to do well in qualification matches at State and make the playoffs and the rest should take care of itself,” says Michael Miller, the team’s lead mentor. 

This year’s competition has been a tough one with the different tasks they need to program their robot to complete. But they’ve learned a lot and have a strategy going into State. “We have a really good robot that we are making some upgrades to. These changes should make us even more competitive. We also have great senior leadership to get us to the championship level.”

The Alotobots finished as a finalist at their first match at Battle Creek Central then lost in the Semifinals at Muskegon. The top 160 teams out of 514 qualify for State. “In Michigan, robotics is ultra competitive and very difficult even to advance to the state level,” Miller explains. Otsego has been ranked as high as 24th in the State this season and is currently ranked 82nd worldwide. “We are in the top 3% of teams in the world,” Miller adds.

The State competition is April 4-6 at Saginaw Valley State University. Worlds are in Houston April 17-20. “I’m really proud of this team and especially proud of my seniors. Some of them have been doing robotics since 3rd grade. I would love nothing more than to make a great run at state and worlds to cap off their robotics careers,” Miller says.