TeraBridges shines at world robotics event

Team members are Jai Daniel, Ishaan Sharma, Harsh Mali, Sidharth Nambiar, William Whitman, Luke An, Josh Beitler, Matt Beitler, Rohan Inampudi, Ava Liu, Sam An, Felix Chen, Aaron Jiang and Ashwin Vasudevan. The team is coached by Rich and Sarah Beitler.

The Connect Award is a judged honor recognizing the team’s exceptional outreach efforts and industry engagement. Over the past eight months, the team collaborated with more than 17 STEM professionals across the Pittsburgh area, gaining valuable insights, feedback on robot design and programming, and mentorship opportunities.

The FIRST Championship featured 256 of the top FIRST Tech Challenge teams from worldwide, divided into four competitive divisions: Edison, Franklin, Jemison and Ochoa. Each division hosted 64 teams, with the top alliances advancing to the final playoffs in pursuit of the world championship title.

Competing in the Edison Division, TeraBridges finished eighth out of 64 teams after 10 intense qualification matches over three days. Based on its performance, the team earned the role of seventh alliance captain in the Edison playoffs, selecting Elephant Tech 25218 from Shanghai, China and MECH 17969 from Denver as alliance partners. This accomplishment placed TeraBridges among the top 32 teams out of more than 8,000 FTC teams worldwide.

“One of the most unforgettable parts of the championship was connecting with teams from all over the world,” Josh Beitler, a sophomore programmer on the team, said. “Right next to our pit was a team from Libya and another from British Columbia, Canada. During our qualification matches, we were allianced with teams not just from across the U.S., but also from Kazakhstan, Taipei, Romania, Canada and China.”

The opportunity to build international connections with other robotics students made a lasting impression.

“Collaborating and strategizing with such a diverse group pushed us to communicate in new ways,” Josh said. “In the end, the friendships we formed and the plans we made to stay in touch meant so much more than just the points we scored on the field.”

The team is grateful for the support and encouragement it received throughout the process.

“On behalf of the TeraBridges team, we are thankful to our coaches, mentors, donors, the Upper St. Clair School District, our families and everyone who supported this journey,” Josh said. “This season has been a remarkable testament to teamwork, innovation, and perseverance.”

For more information about TeraBridges 18603, visit the team’s website www.ftc18603.org.