P17X RoboRumble: A Summer of Robotics in the Bronx

On August 5, P17X in the Bronx turned its gym into a robotics arena for the P17X RoboRumble, and it was easily one of the best days of our summer. Students at this NYC District 75 school spent the summer building Pilot and Axle robots, adding FlexForge parts, and coding them to take on the course. Then they competed in front of their families, their teachers, and a gym full of cheering classmates.

The RoboRumble was the finish line of a full summer robotics program at P17X, and the theme on the banner said it all: The Future Is Built Here. Code. Create. Compete. Every student had a hand in building, wiring, and programming a robot, and every team got to show off what it could do.

The P17X RoboRumble banner, presented by True Robotics and D75 STEM, reading The Future Is Built Here and Code, Create, Compete.

A Summer of Building

Back in June, our team worked with the P17X teachers to get their summer robotics program ready to go. From there, the students took over. Each team built its robot from the ground up, wired it, tested it, and kept improving it all summer long so it would be ready for anything the RoboRumble could throw at it.

Even on competition day, the build tables stayed busy. Teams tightened screws, swapped in FlexForge parts, checked their wiring, and made last minute changes to their code between rounds. That is exactly what real engineers do: test, learn, adjust, and try again.

  • Students build and wire their robots at a table before the competition.
  • Students work together on their robot at the build table.
  • A student team makes adjustments to their robot.
  • Students and a teacher work on a robot kit together.
  • Students fine tune their robot between rounds.
  • Students build their robots with True Robotics kits at the event.

Three Ways to Compete

The day was built around three events, so every team had more than one chance to shine:

  • Robot Soccer: two teams went head to head, two robots against two, racing to score the most goals.

  • Obstacle Course: one team at a time drove past three checkpoints to the finish line, first by remote control and then on its own, running a program the students wrote themselves. Every run was timed, and the fastest team earned 10 bonus points.

  • King of the Hill: five minutes of nonstop rounds on the yellow platform, with a point for every round won.

Teams cheered for each other, coached each other from the sidelines, and crowded around the arena for every match. The energy in that gym was something special.

  • Teams and families gather around the arena as robots compete on the gym floor.
  • Students line up with their controllers, ready to compete.
  • A student robot climbs onto the platform during King of the Hill.
  • Robots battle for the ball during a robot soccer match.
  • Students drive their robots around the arena during a match.
  • A student watches closely as a robot chases the ball.
  • Two robots face off on the yellow King of the Hill platform.
  • Students and families crowd around the King of the Hill platform.
  • Students drive their robots in the arena while classmates watch.
  • A crowd of students and families surrounds the competition arena.
  • A student drives a robot with a game controller.
  • Students focus on their controllers during a match.

Teams With Big Personalities

Every team also made a tri-fold board about its robot, covering who was on the team, how they built it, and what they learned along the way. The Bronx Bots, Robots GOJO, Code Crushers, and The X04 Machines each brought their own style, and walking the tables to read them was one of our favorite parts of the day.

  • The Bronx Bots tri-fold board asking how robots can improve the lives of humans.
  • The Robots GOJO team board with their robot.
  • The Code Crushers tri-fold board about their Pilot robot.
  • The X04 Machines tri-fold board showing their final robot.
  • A team display board on the purple tables.

A Day to Celebrate

The day wrapped up with awards, team photos at the True Robotics backdrop, and plenty of proud families. Our custom purple robot trophies went home with the winning teams, but every student left as a builder, a coder, and a competitor.

  • The purple robot trophies waiting for the winning teams.
  • Students cheer during the RoboRumble.
  • A team celebrates with the trophy at the True Robotics backdrop.
  • Students gather for a group photo with their trophy.
  • A student team poses at the True Robotics backdrop.
  • A team in matching shirts poses at the True Robotics backdrop.
  • Students celebrate with their trophies at the True Robotics backdrop.
  • A STEM 75 jersey at the RoboRumble.

A Huge Thank You to D75 STEM and P17X School

None of this happens without the incredible people at D75 STEM and P17X School. The P17X teachers and staff ran this program all summer, kept every team on track, and put together a competition day that felt like a real championship. D75 STEM made it possible for these students to have a hands-on robotics experience like this, and we are so grateful to be part of it.

To every student who built, coded, and competed: you showed everyone in that gym what you are capable of. We are so proud of you, and we already can't wait for next year!

The True Robotics team with District 75 and P17X staff at the RoboRumble.

Bring Robotics to Your School

Thinking about a summer robotics program or a competition of your own? Our Classroom Packages include grab-and-go curriculum, reusable robot kits, and one-on-one teacher training, and we would love to walk you through how P17X set theirs up. Get in touch with our team!

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