Team History
Year: 2003-2004
Advisors: Ms. Suzanne Cama (now Mrs. Irish), Ms. Helen Nakamura
Competitions: FIRST Robotics Challenge 2004 (Portland, OR)
Member Count: 8
The Hilo High School (HHS) Robotics Club was first established in 2003 by Ms. Suzanne Cama, a biology teacher, and Ms. Helen Nakamura, a chemistry and physics teacher. Both were persuaded by Mr. Dale Olive, the robotics advisor for Waiakea High, to start and advise a club at HHS, and to travel to Portland, OR to participate in the 2004 FIRST challenge, Raising The Bar.
Sponsoring the team in 03-04 were Hawaii Electric Light Company (HELCO) and Women in Technology (WIT) making it possible for entry and travel fees to be paid for with no fundraising.
The 2004 FIRST season was a completely new, crazy-hectic, exciting experience for the team. Going into it, none of the teams 8 members had any experience with welding, electrical wiring, or programming, but they had the assistance of wonderful mentors who taught them not only how to do things, but why they were doing them in the first place.
Coming out of their very first FIRST season they accomplished much more than they had expected. During the first day of competition they came out ranked 4th in the region! The team made it to the quarter finals the following day, but their 2004 FIRST journey ended here giving them a final rank of 11th place; something for a rookie team to be very proud of!
Year: 2004-2005
Advisors: Ms. Suzanne Cama (now Mrs. Irish), Ms. Helen Nakamura
Competitions: FIRST Robotics Challenge 2005 (
Member Count: 12
As the club lost 3 graduates, they gained 7 new members during the clubs 2004-2005 school year. FIRST proved to be a hit the following year, so the team entered into the Las Vegas, NV 2005 FIRST regional. The years challenge was called Stack Attack.
In concerns of raising money for travel and entry fees, the club members dutifully participated in fundraisers such as Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and even toilet paper! They continued to be sponsored by HELCO and WIT, while receiving donations from other various organizations and people. The club also worked at the Boys and Girls Club teaching kids a unit on robotics.
Despite doing immensely well their first year, this year proved to be a greater challenge, and unfortunately at the Las Vegas regional their robot ran into complications leaving them ranked 24.
Year: 2006-2007
Advisors: Mr. Tom Murphy
Competitions: Hawaii Regional Botball Tournament 2007, BIRR 2007
Member Count: 9
After being inactive for a year, the Hilo High School Robotics Club was restarted by a physical science teacher, Mr. Tom Murphy. He student taught at WHS under Mr. Dale Olive in 2005-2006, and the 2006-2007 school year was his very first at HHS. Unlike previous years where the club participated in FIRST, this year they dedicated their time towards Underwater R.O.V (Remote Operated Vehicle) and Botball, while also setting up a booth at Hilo's annual Robofest and Astroday.
In December they participated in their very first R.O.V competition titled BIRR.
Following 4 months later they participated in their very first Botball tournament as well. They came home with 2 awards, Inspiration for the Next Generation and a Judges Choice Award.
One week following Botball they participated in their second R.O.V competition titled BIRR (Big Island R.O.V Regional), and proved that they learned from their mistakes during the first competition. For the High School division they ranked 1st in score for the actual game, but fell to Kealekehe Inter/High School overall, leaving them with a final rank of 2nd. Though they were unable to qualify for the National R.O.V competition in New Foundland, Canada, they made immense improvements and took some great strides.