Building robots is only part of the reason the Edina High School’s Robotics Team is the hot topic of conversation. Known as the “The Green Machine,” the 36-member team recently traveled to St. Louis to participate in the FIRST Robotics national championship, where they put their robot, Zephyr, to the test against 400 other teams. “Championships are a really exhilarating experience,” says co-captain and EHS senior Kevin Kruempelstaedter. “The whole time it’s nonstop, up on your feet.”
The team qualified for the championships by winning the Chairman’s Award at the regional championships, a prestigious award that honors the team that best serves as a role model for other teams. “This team is not just about building a robot,” Kruempelstaedter says. “That’s the central thing, but it’s [also] about spreading the word of gracious professionalism.”
To that end, the Green Machine is heavily involved in community outreach; they mentor other robotics teams around the state, host events around the area, help start rookie teams, and work with their sponsors to promote science and technology in the community. “We spend six weeks a year building a robot, but we spend the rest of the year building a team and a community,” Kruempelstaedter says.
