In fifth grade, Geoffrey Wang started playing around and experimenting with small robotic projects, a hobby that led him to attend Destination Imagination later that year. From then on, his passion for robotics grew into a hobby he still loves to this day.

Wang built his first robot in seventh grade, which had two ultrasonic sensors that detect distance. The following year, Wang constructed what he likes to call the “Robo Mobile” for Science Olympiad. The “Robo Mobile” features an articulated arm that can pick up and move certain objects.

Of the many things that interest Wang about robots, there are a few specific traits of the machines, including their ability to follow directions, that intrigue him the most.

“I love that everything works as intended. Everything is clear-cut and logical,” Wang said. “Robots do what they are supposed to do, if you tell it to do something it does it, unlike people, who if you tell them to do something they won’t necessarily do what you said.”

This past year, Wang was a member of a Wayland High School robotics team. His team enjoyed lots of success, placing well enough in state competitions to qualify for the World Competition in St. Louis, held by the First Robotics Competition (FRC).

For these competitions, Wang and his team built a life-sized robot that consisted of a square base with wheels, a ramp and an elevator.

“Our robot was capable of taking nine boxes from a human loaded area and stacking them on top of each other,” Wang said.

Wang’s team placed 47th out of the 76 teams in their division at the World competition. Although he did not win, just being there was a valuable experience for him and his team.

“We saw a lot of other great robots,” Wang said. “It was more of a learning experience for us rather than a competition because we knew, it being our rookie year, that it was not out year to shine.”