After a year hiatus, over 30 teams of high school students competed at the Ontario District University of Waterloo FIRST Robotics Competition Saturday.

Starting in January, teams around the world started building their robots, but this year they were forced to work virtually for a few weeks

“They were designing in CAD online, meeting virtually over Zoom or whatever, and then when they got time where they could come together, then they started to actually build the robots,” said Dave Ellis, President of FIRST Robotics Canada.

This year, the students used remote-controlled robots to grab a ball the fastest and throw it into a goal. They were also tasked with making the robot climb a set of metal bars.

“This robot is your blood, sweat and tears. You put your soul into this robot. So every time you see this robot work, you're excited, every time you see something break, you're heartbroken,” said Bilal Shahid, a member of Team 1241: THEORY6. “There would be nights when you're pulling until 2-3 a.m., because you're really enjoying it, you feel like you're really learning.”

“You have two months to design build test program and get your robot working the way that he wanted,” said Benjamin den Otter-Versteeg, a member of Team W.A.F.F.L.E.S.

Organizers said beyond the technology they are learning, the students are also developing better business skills through the competition.

“Those soft skills of communication, collaboration, teamwork, time management, critical thinking, those are all skills that they are developing that regardless of what they go into as a post-secondary education and a career will be valuable experiences for them,” said Ellis.

“How to work with those around you, like maybe you have your own idea and they have their own idea, but the biggest thing is talking through these differences,” said Shahid.

There was no limit to how many members a team can have, but due to the pandemic, only a maximum of 25 are allowed attend the event in person.

Organizers hope that next year, pandemic restrictions can allow for more spectators to return and a larger competition can be held.