Robotics

For the third time in four years, “Java The Hutts” are heading to the World Championship. This dynasty is built with 11 high schoolers with one goal: enjoy this growing competition.

A local FTC robotics team called Java the Hutts is heading to Houston next week to compete in the FIRST World Championship. Java the Hutts has been a team for eight years, with students from across Southwest Florida moving through program as some age out. This is the team’s third qualification to Worlds — they brought home the World Champion title once before in 2022. We talk with three of the Java the Hutt team members to learn about their team, the FIRST competitions, and how engaging with robotics is helping them prepare for the world ahead.

A new robot is laying the foundation for the future of construction in The Sunshine State. The Australian built Hadrian-X has the ability to nearly replace an entire crew and lay a home’s foundation in just one day. WGCU’s Jennifer Crawford made her way to Babcock Ranch to get a preview of the machine in action and how it could change the way homes are built in Florida.