November 16, 2024 will be remembered for a long time by the members of the School Robotics Club Mechanik TEAM” - it was on this day that the 3rd edition of the International Robotics Tournament X-Challenge 2024 took place, one of the most prestigious events for young robotics enthusiasts from Poland and Europe.
Our team couldn't be missing among the participants. We were represented by the "Papiernica" team, and we entered our first robot – the brave "Fredzio" – into the fray. Although the robot's construction was almost last-minute, with a very limited budget and even more improvisation, we succeeded and competed in the "Task Hunters" category, one of the tournament's more demanding competitions.
Was it easy? Definitely not! During the test run, which was recorded on television, there was an unfortunate crash and… one of the wheels broke off. Between rounds, power problems arose, and at the climax – just before the final – the robot's arm broke. It was a thrilling race against time, against malfunctions, and against stage fright – but also a tremendous lesson in determination, teamwork, and performance under pressure.
Despite all these obstacles, we achieved 10th place out of 17 teams, which, considering the Club's first-ever start and debut design, is a source of pride for us. "Fredzio," though not without injuries, bravely faced the challenges of the track and showed that passion and persistence can elevate even the simplest machine to the arena of international competition.
For us, this is just the beginning. We are already preparing for the next edition of X-Challenge 2025, and this time – perhaps – we will also compete in other competitions.
“Mechanik TEAM” is not just a robotics club – it’s a team of people who know that dreams are best powered by… a stepper motor and a good team!