On Saturday 15th June, Hillcrest High School hosted the Waikato Regional RoboCup Junior competition in the school auditorium.
The event brought together students from Hillcrest High School, St John’s College, and Cambridge High School for an exciting day of robotics challenges focused on the Rescue event.
Three teams represented Hillcrest High School: Sasha Melman (Year 10), Hannah Duong (Year 9), and the team of Matthew Hemara and Tokusho Littlewood (both Year 10). Each team competed across four rounds that required their robots to be pre-programmed to follow a line, navigate obstacles and ramps, and successfully perform a simulated rescue in a “chemical spill” scenario.
Throughout the day, the Hillcrest teams showed determination and creativity as they faced common robotics hurdles such as unexpected robot behaviour, flat batteries, and variable lighting conditions that affected sensor accuracy. Despite these challenges, all teams competed in every round and demonstrated strong problem-solving and perseverance.
By the end of the competition, Hannah Duong achieved an impressive second place, finishing behind one of the St John’s College teams. The event was a great opportunity for students to put their skills to the test in a fun and competitive environment, and to develop resilience and confidence in their technical abilities.
