Welcome to RoHAWKtics!

Welcome to the Hardin Valley Academy site for FIRST® Robotics team #3824! Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, Hardin Valley Academy’s team (Affectionately dubbed “RoHAWKtics” after the school mascot) designs and develops functional robots to compete in upcoming FIRST® Competitions.

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What is FIRST® Robotics?

The FIRST® Robotics Competition stages short games played by robots. A team of high school students and engineers-mentors design, build, and program a robot from a common set of parts. The remote-controlled robots compete in rounds, the rules of which change yearly. Teams form in the fall, receiving the competition criteria at the annual FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff in early January. The six-week “build” period commences and is capped off by regional competitions in March and April. Attended by thousands of fans, these three-day events are typically held in university settings and consist of anywhere from forty to seventy teams. Referees oversee the competition while judges evaluate teams and bestow awards for design, technology, sportsmanship and commitment to FIRST. The Chairman’s Award is FIRST’s highest honor, recognizing a team that exemplifies the values of the organization, such as teamwork, self-confidence, communication, and leadership. A national competition is held at a later date.

The intense six-week “build” period for the Hardin Valley Robotics team is spent constructing the most efficient robot. From this experience, the students learn to work collaboratively, experience real world application of classroom curriculum and develop invaluable problem solving skills. The partnership with the mentors allows students to explore career opportunities while establishing lasting contacts with engineers in the community.

The HVA Robotics team was established in 2011. Although robotics is typically associated with STEM disciplines, HVA’s team includes students not only from the STEM academy, but from a variety of other academic interests, derived through Hardin Valley’s academy-based system. Students from Business, Law and Public Affairs as well as Liberal Arts handle marketing, communications and advertising for the team. Even Health Science students can contribute by sharing their understanding of human anatomy and physiology so that the team can translate that into robotic design.

Since the inaugural RoHAWKtics team in 2011, we have competed at the regional and national levels, and have won a rookie all-star award. We have also begun a partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and have had the opportunity to work at their Manufacturing Demonstration Facility. This has given us the unique ability to use many different types of machinery including 3D printers and have large open spaces for trial runs and other activities. We have since chosen to offer the use of this facility to all other FIRST teams.