About

“As a team, we build amazing humans first, then amazing robots second.”
— Christopher Westcott, OVS Robotics Coach and Mentor

OVS Robotics is purposed to build and develop character and soft skills needed in the fast paced world we live in. Building a robot with design specifications, and purpose, together with other people, is a means to learn these skills in ways not often found in a typical classroom.

What Is FTC?

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) is a team-based robotics competition where students learn to think like engineers. Working in teams, students design, build, and program robots to compete in fast-paced, themed matches that change each season.

FTC is open to students of all experience levels. Teams use reusable robotics components, custom 3D-designed parts, and Android-based control systems programmed in block-based or text-based languages such as Java.

Guided by adult mentors, students develop technical, teamwork, and leadership skills while practicing real engineering principles. FTC also emphasizes outreach, fundraising, and documentation, with opportunities to earn awards and college scholarships. Each season culminates in the international FIRST Championship.

Who Are We?

OVS Robotics is Ojai Valley School’s competitive FIRST® Tech Challenge program, made up of two high school teams: SpudNik #10006 and SpudBot #10673. Experienced team members mentor newer students as they design, build, and program robots for league competitions, gaining technical skills, leadership experience, and hands-on engineering practice.

Time Management

Students on the OVS Robotics team must balance a heavily prescribed OVS schedule. Though students meet as a class, much of the work must be done outside of class. All students have a mandated academic schedule and sports commitment everyday, and must use their free time, or weekends to help meet their goals for the team.

Explore Technical Tools and Skills

Students have a number of tools available to learn and use for their robot builds and prototyping. We can use typical shop tools, a CNC machine, a laser cutter, and a set of 3D printers. Aspire, Fusion360, TinkerCad, OnShape, Discord (SoCal’s choice of robotics communication), Android Studio with Java, along with many other applications can be explored and utilized while in the program, creating solutions for authentic problems, tasks, and goals.