On October 22, twenty-five LigerBots attended the first annual New England Robotics Derby (N.E.R.D.), an off-season robotics competition hosted by fellow FRC team Billerica Bionics at Billerica Memorial High School. We competed alongside twenty-seven other teams. 

N.E.R.D. was a great experience for our new members to get a feel for the FIRST Robotics Competition atmosphere. They helped set up the game field, learning about how large-scale field elements, like the climb assembly and driver stations, can be broken into smaller parts. Grasping driver and troubleshooting skills, several first-years also assisted in driving the robot and repairing it between matches. LigerBots students also met many other teams and learned about their different robot designs and strategies. 

Our team did a fantastic job by making it to the quarter-finals. More importantly, this event was an incredible learning experience for learning the ropes of competition, including field setup, pit repair, teamwork, and “coopertition”—cooperative competition.

As always, great thanks to our sponsors Newton Schools Foundation, Newton Public Schools, Eastern Bank, MathWorks, Paytronix, Raytheon Missiles & Defense, Rockwell Automation, Teradyne, Village Bank, Honda Village, Rotary Club of Newton, IvyMath, the Willins, and the Schwartzes. Your support is greatly appreciated!