The Nashoba Robotics team gathered outside the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX where the team placed 5th during the FIRST Robotics Competition World Championship in April.
By Kristin DeJohn
Twenty years ago, Nashoba Robotics entered its first competition after physics teacher Al Fordiani agreed to help students start a robotics team. Celebrating two decades this year got a lot sweeter when the team competed in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) World Championship in Houston April 16-19.
There are upwards of 3,700 FRC teams worldwide. Nashoba Robotics and their alliance rose to 5th place out of the 601 teams who qualified for the Houston event at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
“It was the thrill of a lifetime!” exclaimed Fordiani, Nashoba Robotics’ team director. “The FRC community is a very passionate and involved group with 25,000 screaming fans!”
What those fans saw was Nashoba Robotics (Team #1768) and two other partner teams facing off against other alliance teams on the elite Einstein field at the convention center.
Each alliance had to successfully place PVC pipes (coral) and rubber balls (algae) on structures. The ‘Reefscape’ themed game required speed, agility, and elevating balls 8-feet in the air during the fast-paced mechanical matchups.
“Playing on Einstein at Worlds was easily the coolest thing I have ever done,” said Caterina Romano, a junior from Stow, who helped operate the robot. “It was very surreal to be there among so many teams that we look up to and try to emulate,” she added. “I was also very proud to get to represent not just our school and town, but all of the other FIRST Robotics teams in Massachusetts and New England.”
Building alliances
In FRC robotics competitions, winning teams pick their own alliances, with higher-ranking teams choosing first. During qualifying matches, Nashoba Robotics achieved a division #1 status, giving them first pick and making them captain of their alliance. Choosing allied teams required scouting for data.
“We collect information on the other teams throughout the competition by having six students take data on a specific robot that is on the field,” said Abby Fantana, a junior from Bolton. Fantana worked remotely from Bolton and relayed data to other teammates in Houston, including Sara Albanese, a junior from Stow, who was in Houston handling the scanning and organizing. “We all collaborated on scouting to decide who to pick based on our data,” noted Fantana.
The team picked Stryke Force out of Michigan, the LigerBots from Newton, Mass., and the Worbots from Worthington, Ohio, which ended up being a key backup when another ally had a mechanical problem. The alliance proved a perfect combination, winning the Hopper division and advancing. “I don’t think that our alliance at ‘Worlds’ could have worked out any better,” added Romano.
“The highlight of the season was definitely placing first in our division and making it to the Einstein field,” said Fantana. “This was an absolute dream come true for the team and hopefully the first of more to come.”
Nashoba Robotics also won three Industrial Design Awards, adding to their awards case. “In our history, 1768 has won 12 Industrial Design Awards,” said Fordiani. “Out of the 10,000 teams that have ever competed in FRC, only nine teams have won more.”
Inspiring career paths
“My time on the robotics team has definitely guided me toward pursuing a career in engineering,” said Caterina Romano.
Hands-on engineering and working on a shared mission has inspired quite a few Nashoba students. “We prepare kids to be leaders, and they are,” exclaimed Fordiani. “That rover driving on Mars: one of our alumni worked on it. That probe that just landed on the moon: one of our alumni helped build it; Space X: one of our alumni tests their rocket engines.”
Fordiani says Nashoba Robotics alumni have also worked on robots that fly, self-driving cars, next-generation 3D printers, and more. “Our alumni get a huge leg-up on success by learning to do something real,” he added.
Community support
“This season, we hit the ground running, and as a team, it has been really amazing to see our growth in size but also the growth in potential that comes with that,” said Fantana.
Two factors that play a vital role in any team’s success are having mentors and money.
“Without a strong mentor base, it is not possible to have a strong team,” added Fordiani. “So we are always looking for folks with technical skills that they are willing to share.”
Creating robots, traveling, and entering competitions requires a large amount of funding each year. “We are dependent on the generosity of donors,” noted Fordiani. “We have several corporate sponsors: SynQor, Dunn Family Foundation, Raytheon, Smartapp, Dav-Tech Plating, Murphy Insurance Agency, Onshape, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Ron Bouchard Auto Stores, and many small local donors.”
If you’d like to donate or follow Nashoba Robotics, the website is: NashobaRobotics.org. You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram: @NashobaRobotics
Also, check out the Nashoba Robotics 2025 reveal video HERE.