Team History

The Bearbotics FRC #4068 Story

The Bearbotics robotics team (FIRST FRC team #4068) serves high-school students in the Lewis-Palmer School District in Monument, Colorado. It began when students Clark Pappas and Emily Ferdette proposed to the LPSD School Board in 2011 that a team be formed to participate in this top-tier STEM program, with all its opportunities for challenge, achievement and inspiration. We're now in our "lucky 13th" year of activity. Here's an overview of the continuing journey of the team and its accomplishments. And our thanks to the coaches, mentors, sponsors and parents who make this possible!

Top: FRC team at Colorado Regional

Mid: FRC team at Utah Regional

Bottom: FRC receives "Excellence in Engineering" award 

2023: "Charged Up!"

Overall 55 students (our most ever), including 1 FRC, 3 FTC and 2 (new) FLL Challenge teams! We are proud to achieve many new first-evers and high points for the team, as they indicate the qualify of learning in the program. Here are some of the FRC highlights:

Innovative Engineering Analysis Report on "Improving Efficiency of FRC Robot Electrical Systems" we published to the FRC Community 


Win "Industrial Design" engineering award for the first time

Student Keira Griffin wins "Dean's List Finalist" award (first time for Bearbotics)

Lead Alliance #4 in the Playoffs (our 2nd time as Alliance Captain); finish as Semi-Finalists

Win "Excellence in Engineering" award for the first time

We're the scoring leaders on Alliance #3 and get to the Finals; finish as FINALISTS

Extend our Semifinals-or-better streak to 8 events

Game Description                          Robot Description

Team Performance Data                Best Match Video

Top: the FRC robot (4068) in action at Colorado Regional

Mid: iso view of the FRC robot

Bottom: transparent CAD view of the FRC robot

Top: all-team pic (FRC + FTC)

Mid: Finalist Alliance Captains at Arizona North

Bottom: at Colorado

2022: "Rapid React"

Overall 41 students (our 2nd largest team ever up until this time), including 3 new FTC teams we started to help rookies build skills more quickly. We set a new high of 26 rookie students! We set many new all-time highs and firsts in robot performance, and submitted a Chairman's Award document and video for the first time ever.

We finished our season as the #3 ranked team in Colorado, and in the Top 6% of teams in the World

Accomplishments:

(1) Arizona North

(2) Colorado

Game Description                        Robot Description

Robot Performance Data            Best Match Video             

Team Performance Summary Report

Top: robot overview before Colorado

Mid: Upper Hub shots @ AZN

Bottom: Traversal hang with 1619 @ Colorado

Due to COVID19 restrictions, we don't have a team picture for 2021

2021: "Infinite Recharge at Home"

Even with COVID19 restrictions all season, we put in a full year. We significantly upgrade our 2020 robot and use it for this year's "virtual" competition, and design and start the build of a new improved robot. We welcome our largest rookie class ever up until this time (19), and develop new ways to help our team of 39 learn and grow.

Competitions: (1) "Carbon" (international) group

Accomplishments: 

Game Description     

Our 1st-ever F.U.N. "Behind The Bumpers" highlight video

2020: "Infinite Recharge"

We're now at 45 students (our largest team ever up until this time), with the goal of competing with the top teams in Colorado. We build our best-scoring robot ever, which is 100% CAD-designed and CNC-fabricated, using more motors and a wider range of materials than ever before. But this is the first year of COVID19,  and immediately after the Utah tournament everything is cancelled....

Regionals: (1) Utah, (2) Colorado (cancelled)

Accomplishments: 

(1) Utah: semi-finalist; first-ever team qualification to lead a play-off alliance!

Game Description     Team Performance Info

Robot Description     Season Recap Video

We anchored the only 3-robot climb that happened at the 2020 Utah Regional. Big points!
Hoping for greats things just before Bag'n'Tag at Grace Best ES, Monument, CO
We're the champs at the Colorado Regional (2019)!
Bearbotics at its first World Championship event, in Houston, TX (2019)

2019: "Destination: Deep Space"

More team growth and a new strategy: let's take robot engineering and competitive performance to the next level. We build a tall, fast, tough, controllable robot -- and other teams take notice.

Events: (1) Colorado, (2) Utah and (3) Houston World Championship

Accomplishments: 

(1) Colorado: CHAMPIONSHIP!

(2) Utah: RUNNERS-UP (aka "FINALIST")

(3) Participate in World Champs for the 1st time! Achieve a winning record (6-4) against top teams!

Game Description     Team Performance Info

The winning robot Alliance at the 2019 Colorado Regional in Denver, CO.

2018: "FIRST Power Up"

The team continues to grow, and creates a versatile "utility player" robot that can score in the end-game challenge.

Regional: (1) Colorado

Accomplishment: selected to participate in playoff rounds again!

Game Description     Team Performance Info

2017: "FIRST Steamworks"

A challenging season in many respects, but the seeds are planted for a different path in upcoming years. And check out the great team graphics!

Regional: (1) Colorado

Game Description     Team Performance Info

2016: "FIRST Stronghold"

The team continues to develop its skills in robot offensive capability (scoring). The result is the highest robot performance ranking in the first 5 years of Bearbotics! 

Regional: (1) Colorado

Accomplishment: selected to participate in playoff rounds again!

Game Description     Team Performance Info

2015: "Recycle Rush"

This game was a tough challenge requiring a large robot, and Bearbotics stepped up to the challenge. 

Regional: (1) Colorado

Accomplishment: selected to participate in playoff rounds (for the 1st time for Bearbotics)!

Game Description     Team Performance Info

2014: "Aerial Assist"

We changed the team name to "Bearbotics", and moved the workspace to Grace Best ES. The team grew and continued to take on more technical challenge in the robot design and build.

Regional: (1) Colorado

Game Description     Team Performance Info

2013: "Ultimate Ascent"

This was another "learning year", but the team progressed. Robot design and construction applied techniques learned from the 2012 competition.

Regional: (1) Colorado

Game Description     Team Performance Info

2012: "Rebound Rumble"

We started out as "Aperture Robotics" (referencing the video game "Portal"). This was a "learning year" with a lot of team spirit. We finished building the robot on the Thursday of the event -- but it ran!

Regional: (1) Colorado

Award: Rookie Inspiration

Game Description     Team Performance Info