Homebot Robotics team prepares for first-ever trip to world championship

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - Homebot Robotics, a nonprofit robotics team for Greater Mankato area middle school, high school and home school students, is asking the community for support ahead of its first-ever visit to the VEX V5 Middle School World Championship in St. Louis starting Saturday, April 25.

Jodi Mansfield, the head coach, says the nonprofit typically raises $10,000 a year from local sponsors like Two Rivers Automation, Tony Downs and Vanderberg Cleaning Service to help fund their team’s equipment and parts.

But to help compete in St. Louis, the team is looking to raise an additional $12,000 from the community.

Mansfield says the team is currently $4,000 away from that goal.

“Just being able to send a team to Worlds, we’ve had quite a few years where we’ve been close, but there’s never been a year where we’ve actually gotten that award and gotten to go. So it’s really exciting, and I’m really proud of the kids,” Manfield said.

Mansfield says that the team was started in 2021 after her sons wanted to continue to be on a team with friends in other school districts like St. Clair. It has since become an entirely self-funded nonprofit for home school robotics in Mankato and South Central Minnesota.

Lane Makela, the coach of the Pteradaxles, the team heading to the world championship, says that it has been a great opportunity for his sons to learn more about engineering.

As part of the VEX robotics competition, kids are expected to build and design their own robot to fit a predesigned game, without the help of adults, outside of purchasing materials.

The Pteradaxles’ robot, nicknamed Sam, was built to participate om a game where teams race to put blocks in goals and return to a parking spot.

Makela thinks his team’s choice to install an optional double parking feature, which gives the potential for 30 extra points, could give them an edge going into the competition.

“I could really see the kids pull behind that and use it in matches, it got a lot of attention from the announcers,” Makela said.

Noah Vanderberg, a 7th grader in the program says the process of refining that design has been memorable.

“I think the journey of our robot was really fun,” Vanderberg said.

The team hopes to leave for the competition on Friday, April 24.

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