Westfield School Robotics Club Racks Up Multiple Awards

The Westfield Robotics Team hailing from Edison Intermediate School (EIS) and led by Westfield Technology Education teacher, Sean Bonasera, won the PTC Design Award at the Piscataway First Tech Challenge Qualifying Competition on January 12. The team won the same recognition on December 15 at the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST®) Tech Challenge Qualifying Competition at Livingston High School.

Westfield’s team began as an after school robotics club that this year includes six students (all current or former students at EIS) including (l-r) Neil Makhija, Jordan Hindes, Vivek Screenivasan, Jen Rogers, Spencer Fishman, and Mike Carides with teacher/advisor, Sean Bonasera. 

The students received the award for functional and aesthetic design for their wirelessly remote controlled robot that was built to collect and place more plastic rings on a rack than the opposing teams within a two-minute timeframe.

Work on the robot began in August, with the team meeting more frequently as the competition drew closer -- five days a week and on the occasionally on the weekends. Now that the competition season is over, the robotics club is back on its once-a-week meeting schedule.

“I am extremely proud of these students,” remarked Bonasera. “Although we are done competing for this year, we are eager to start getting sponsorship, planning and building for next year,” he added.  Interested individuals or companies may contact Sean Bonasera at sbonasera@westfieldnjk12.org.