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Hastings students showcase FRC robot Chonabot and head to Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Summary
Hastings High’s Bionic Buzzers presented their FIRST Robotics Competition robot “Chonabot,” described upgrades and outreach plans, and recounted a season that improved the team’s world rank from roughly 2,362 to 994; students and faculty advisers thanked sponsors and said the team will compete at WPI this weekend.
Students from Hastings High School’s Bionic Buzzers presented their FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) robot, Chonabot, to the Board of Education on May 27 and described technical features, season results and outreach plans ahead of an off‑season event at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Co‑president Aiden Maloney told the board that FRC combines mechanical, electrical and computer engineering. “FIRST Robotics is the most complex and competitive program offered by FIRST,” Maloney said, explaining that teams build industrialized robots that compete for spots at the global championship. He reviewed the team’s schedule and noted that during the eight‑week build season students often meet five days a week and work late into the evening.
The students walked the board through Chonabot’s systems — an intake, a conveyor to a curved launcher, two vision cameras, an omni‑directional drive and an electrical setup mounted to the chassis — and performed a live demonstration for trustees. The team credited faculty advisers Austin Hills and Christina Gagliardi with significant logistical and organizing support.
Student leaders described a season of rapid improvement. “Overall, we went from being ranked 2362nd in the world to 994th,” Maloney said. The team made playoffs at both of its regionals, captained an alliance at one event and cited resilience, improved pit layout, new leadership roles and expanded outreach work as drivers of progress.
Jacob Kugerman, the team’s business and financial lead, summarized funding and sponsorships that made the season possible: NASA, the Gene Hos Foundation, the Argusy Foundation, Goldman Sachs and the PTSA, along with local support from Hudson Valley Newsmatics (run by former teacher Mark Rosner), among others. The students said they have grown an outreach team to support fundraising and recruitment; they described recent demonstrations for middle‑school students and plans to expand an award‑winning video and merchandise sales.
Faculty adviser Hills and the student leaders emphasized that FIRST balances competition and community: teams share tools and expertise at events to help rookie teams and to keep students engaged across the region.
The Bionic Buzzers will attend the WPI BattleCry off‑season event this weekend. The board and audience applauded the team’s demonstration and wished the students success at the competition.
