The Javengers team recently attended the 2026–2027 FIRST Tech Challenge BIOBUZZ presented by RTX season kickoff at York Country Day School, 1000 Indian Rock Dam Rd, York, PA 17403. Located about 50 minutes from Mechanicsburg, the event brought together robotics teams, mentors, volunteers, students, and families to discover the new season and experience the game firsthand. The auditorium was packed, creating an exciting atmosphere as teams prepared to learn what the new season would bring. Javengers had the opportunity to meet and interact with other FTC teams, including Bytebusters and Thunderbusters, while exploring the new BIOBUZZ field and game elements.
🤖 Introducing BIOBUZZ
The Javengers team recently attended the 2026–2027 FIRST Tech Challenge BIOBUZZ presented by RTX season kickoff at York Country Day School, 1000 Indian Rock Dam Rd, York, PA 17403. Located about 50 minutes from Mechanicsburg, the event brought together robotics teams, mentors, volunteers, students, and families to discover the new season and experience the game firsthand.
The new game is inspired by nature and the FIRST CANOPY season theme. Two alliances of two robots collect POLLEN and NECTAR, launch them into their HIVE, and place them into FLOWERS. Matches include a 30-second autonomous period, followed by two minutes of driver-controlled play.
Key Game Highlights
- Four game pieces: Robots can control up to 4 scoring elements simultaneously, adding new strategic possibilities.
- HIVE tipping: Each successful HIVE TIP is worth 20 match points and unlocks additional NECTAR for the alliance.
- Flower strategy: NECTAR can enter the FLOWER scoring volume only during the final 60 seconds, making the closing phase especially important.
- New robot expansion limits: Robots still start within an 18-inch cube, but may expand to 18 × 24 × 29 inches during play, with mechanical limits required rather than software-only restrictions.
- Actuator limits: Robots are limited to 8 motors and 8 servos, with specific servo power and current requirements.
- Advancement matters: Qualification performance, alliance selection, playoff results, and judged awards all contribute to advancement points.
For Javengers, this kickoff was more than simply learning a new game—it was an opportunity to connect with the FTC community, study the field, understand the new rules, and begin thinking about robot design, strategy, programming, and teamwork for the season ahead.
Our Javengers coach, RAM, was extremely excited about the new season, and the entire team left the event with renewed energy and confidence. With the new game challenges, strong teamwork, and continued preparation, Javengers are confident that we can be a strong competitor in the upcoming FTC competitions.
The BIOBUZZ season has officially begun, and Javengers are ready to build, learn, compete, and grow together!