All Jacked UP

“Jack” was our first FRC Robot. Jack was built in Jan/Feb of 2019 with absolutely no idea what we were doing. His name came about because 1) we had no idea what we were doing and only had 4 weeks left to build him and 2) initial ideas included a scissorlift or mechanical jack to lift hatches to higher levels.

His goal was to attach hatches to cargo bays in FIRST 2019 DESTINATION: DEEP SPACE. The general build for the hatch attacher was developed from plans posted by Team 118’s Everybot project. The initial idea was to also have an “Elevator” to attach hatches at higher leves, but that idea got scrapped for time. The remnants can be seen in the long pillars holding his sides on.

Jack was programmed in Lab View and ran Tank Drive. He was controlled with two Thrustmaster T 1600 M Joysticks.

Danny Sucks

First, the name of this robot taught us an important lesson about gracious professionalism—and inside jokes. We thought the name was funny because there was a drummer named Danny whom two of the kids argued about constantly, and we also became really, really frustrated with this robot.

Danny’s goal was to launch cargo into the hub to score points. This design was our first foray into Neo motors, and we fought with it all season. The intake/launcher motor would run perfectly until it was under load—at which point it would immediately reverse and spin at full speed. We never solved this problem.

Despite all of this, our driver made a name for himself as a defensive powerhouse. We finished as runner-up at the AR Regional and earned a berth to Worlds. That’s right, folks—we went to the FIRST Championship with what was essentially a wooden shoebox of a robot. Danny was programmed in Java and was still controlled with the Thrusmaster Joysticks.

YEET! the baby

YEET! was our 2024 robot for Crescendo, inspired loosely by the Unqualified Quokkas—and named accordingly. Legend has it that quokkas throw their babies at enemies when threatened, and that chaotic energy felt like a perfect fit.

YEET! used a pivot-based shooter paired with a pull-through intake/outtake system. Working together, the programming team and driver added a “reverse controls” button, letting the driver instantly flip the robot’s controls for quicker turnarounds on the field.

This year, we scrapped the AndyMark kit and built our own West Coast drivetrain with a brand-new gearbox. YEET! competed at the Arkansas Regional before heading to the Bayou Regional in New Orleans.

HUg bot/shawty/shody

We lost this wonderful write-up when trying to edit the robots page LOL I am really upset and I have no way to get it back.

I am so angry right now. HOW DID THIS ROBOT EVEN EXIST. It was a disaster that we loved. Also it exploded many many many parts across Kirby’s gymnasium.

Armstrong

Our 2023 robot for Charged Up! was named Armstrong. Why? Because its predominant feature was a single arm that incorporated our first pivot and our first elevator. It also featured our first articulating intake—another milestone for Mechanically Challenged.

Armstrong was also our first attempt at competing in two regionals. It debuted at the Arkansas Regional and later competed at the Green Country Regional in Tulsa, Armstrong also debuted our new pixel-font numbers.

Armstrong used tank drive and was operated with the Thrustmaster controllers we’ve used since 2019. Another first for Mechanically Challenged was the introduction of a secondary operator. Our “gunner” used an Xbox controller to control the pivot, elevator, and claw.

Ebirah- horror of the doorknobs

Ebirah was our 2025 entry for REEFSCAPE. Its main focus was an elevator built from the Thriftybot Elevator Kit—heavily modified to meet our needs. Over the season, we cycled through three different intake designs, with the final version pictured to the left.

Ebirah ran on a modified West Coast frame powered by Kraken motors generously donated by a team member’s family. It featured three cameras and was our first robot to be retrofitted with SWERVE after the season. The robot also included a plethora of 3D-printed parts, and its 3D-printed battery case turned a lot of heads in Knoxville.

Ebirah competed at the Arkansas Regional and debuted a completely new intake at the Smoky Mountain Regional outside Knoxville, Tennessee. Later, it showcased the new Thrifty SWERVE drivetrain at the 2025 Ozark Mountain Brawl.