Hammond High Torbotics goes global

A thousand teams from three different FIRST robotics programs put their innovation, teamwork and robotics skills to the test.

For FRC teams like Torbotics 2080, only 600 teams representing 28 different countries qualified to attend from the more than 4,000 FRC teams who competed this season.

Of those 600 teams only 85 qualified to actually compete for the top award at the Championship. Torbotics was one of those teams.

With 86 students actively participating in Torbotics over the past year, 33 qualified to compete on this year’s FRC travel team with competitions in Orlando, Kenner and Houston.

Due to the generosity of local, state and national sponsors, and the dedication of these students to advocate on behalf of their team and community, they were able to raise enough money this season to pay for the total cost of travel, lodging and food for each student competing, along with paying for needed upgrades to HHMS engineering shop equipment and competition robot parts.

In a time when it appears that negative spotlights on youth and the education system capture the greatest attention and have become the norm, this very different albeit often quiet story coming out of Hammond High Magnet School has been 17 years in the making.

Birth of Torbotics

On Oct. 6, 2006, Hammond High School registered one of just a handful of FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams in the state thanks to a grant from NASA and the financial support of longtime local sponsor and STEM champion, H Rocker Electric.

Given the team number 2080, this Hammond High team, named Torbotics, became the 2,080th team worldwide to compete annually with a 125-pound original team-made robot while also developing interpersonal skills and real-world experience in engineering, business management and marketing.

There are currently just shy of 10,000 such teams in existence internationally.

In addition to creating a robust robot – which successfully meets the requirements to engage in multiple action-packed matches to include both autonomous and driver-operated periods on a field the size of a basketball court – to be truly successful and award-winning, teams must demonstrate how they have inspired a sustained and measurable impact of systemic change and overall interest in STEM pursuits within their school, local community and larger region.

With regional robot wins to their credit over the years, it is in this later pursuit where Torbotics has made a name for itself, increasingly gaining regional, national, and now international recognition.

With 12 blue banner wins since 2013, eight of those have been for the coveted FIRST Impact Award, formally known as the Chairman’s Award, the highest honor given at an FRC competition, recognizing the team which best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST.

Giving back to the community

Since its establishment, Torbotics has embraced a culture of diversity and inclusion, striving to provide equal opportunities and exposure for all when it comes to STEM-related interests.

With a strong focus on fostering gender diversity, Torbotics has seen a remarkable 142 percent increase in gender distribution since its inception, with women leading 10 out of 13 subgroups on the team this past year.

Their commitment to inclusivity extends beyond gender, as evidenced by a 15 percent higher diversity rate compared to Hammond High Magnet School.

Operating in Tangipahoa Parish, where 50 percent of the population resides in rural areas and 23 percent live below the poverty line, they are committed to being a catalyst for STEM and robotics education.

Since 2008, this has resulted in Torbotics personally starting 39 FIRST robotics teams, from FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Explore (K-4th grade) and FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Challenge (4-8th grade) to FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC: 7th-12th grade) and FRC (9th-12th grade).

The team provides weekly mentorship to 13 FLL Explore teams, nine FLL Challenge teams, six FTC teams and two FRC teams, with nine of those community teams given space to meet in HHMS engineering shop.

Over the years, Torbotics has assisted hundreds of FIRST robotics teams at every level through providing materials, hosting jump starts and information exchanges, and hosting and volunteering at tournaments.

They have also been instrumental in the development of a collegiate mentor network benefiting 13 FRC teams and 19 FTC teams.

With their annual NASA ASTRO CAMPS entering their seventh year, the team has reached more than 15,000 youth through both their in-person camps and online classroom materials, sparking the development of 47 additional ASTRO CAMP throughout Tangipahoa Parish, West Monroe, South Carolina, Arizona and Mexico.

The team has also recently been recognized for some of their special projects.

Their STEM-on-the-Go kits have been created and distributed to local organizations who work with at-risk youth and families for the past three years.

After 14 months, five rolls of filament and three iterations, in July 2023 the team was able to provide MaKenzie Burleson, a local 6-year-old with type 1 spinal muscular atrophy, with her own working robot arms to help make daily tasks easier and to further her therapy goals.

The team chose to dedicate their 2024 competition season to MaKenzie following her passing earlier this year and will be continuing her project with CureSMA, a national organization dedicated to the support of individuals with SMA. The team’s goal is to create and provide robot arms to other children with SMA free of charge.

Torbotics is also in the process of finalizing a contract with the Federal Aviation Administration for the FAA’s use of a memory aid device developed by the team to assist air traffic controllers, known as their LUAW signs.

The team’s motto, “#PutSTEMFIRST,” captures their belief that exposure to impactful introductions to STEM as a youth is important to ensuring a successful future.

To put STEM FIRST means to reach all youth with a STEM education while also ensuring the equitable inclusion of those who have been underrepresented.