West High School heads to Houston for Robotics Championship

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The West High School robotics team in Knoxville is headed to Texas for the First Robotics Championship after winning the title ‘Rookie of the Year” at the Smoky Mountain Regionals.  

The West High robotics team was also a recipient of NASA’s Robotics Alliance Project Grant Awards in late 2023. This grant will allow them to compete in the championship in Houston next week. 

“We are getting to go to Houston because we are the rookies of the year,” said Luke Roberts, a sophomore on the robotics team. “We aren’t going to be rookies next year or the year after that.”

Roberts is the driver of West High School’s robot during the competitions, with this year being his first on the team. Roberts hopes to use his experience to become a mechatronic engineer. 

“This is probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me,” Roberts said. “So I’m very excited.” 

The robotics team will compete at the First Robotics Championship in Houston next week between April 17-20.