REBUILT - 2026 Season
In REBUILT™ presented by Haas, a new challenge releasing January 10, 2026, FIRST Robotics Competition teams will use engineering skills and re-imagine the past.
Kickoff
With the start of the 2026 season, REBUILT has officially begun. Our season began with a fun kickoff event that allowed team members to bond while taking on challenges that encouraged teamwork and problem-solving. After the release of the game, we were fueled by our determination to create an incredible robot. Following the kickoff video, we began digging through all of our ideas as a whole team to decide where to get started. As in previous seasons, our amazing parents have played a vital role by helping construct the new game field. With their incredible support, we can begin planning and developing strategies for the robot. The game pieces are dense, small, yellow balls used to fuel the hub located near the center of the field. The main field elements, such as the hub, are made of wood that is carefully cut, drilled, and measured to perfection. Both MARS/WARS and MARS Minions are busy strategizing and creating to build the best robot. We're very excited to see this new season unfold.
Week 1
The MARS/WARS team has made significant progress since the release of the new game, REBUILT. Both the Varsity and Junior Varsity teams have been working through the early stages of the design and build process. A huge thank you goes out to our wonderful parents who have finished building the new field, and the team is incredibly grateful for their time and support.
Varsity: The Varsity Design team has created OnShape mockups for key components, including the shooters, hoppers, and funnels. They are now beginning to prototype the main designs for this year’s robot. While some elements present greater challenges than others, the team is determining the best solutions based on planned strategies. The Varsity Software team has been developing an initial software plan, with a major focus on computer vision training. This allows the robot to accurately distinguish between the floor and fuel even as the code becomes more complex. The software team has also been working on turret tracking for the main robot.
Junior Varsity: The Junior Varsity team’s plans closely mirror those of Varsity, as is typical at the start of the season. The JV Design team has split into four groups working on the hopper, intake, climber, and shooter, using components from previous robots as references. Online resources have also provided helpful inspiration. The JV Software team has been refining the programming for their swerve drive to ensure smooth operation and has upgraded to the latest software version. They are also working on the drive chain for their current test robot.
Business Services: The Business Services Crew has been planning Super Bowl squares and an upcoming Trivia Night scheduled for February 21st. Progress across all groups is going well, and the team is confident in its success this season.
Week 2
The MARS/WARS team has been working even harder during week two of the REBUILT season. Our progress on the robot has presented some challenges, but we’ve been tackling them with great effort and determination. With the support of our mentors and student leaders, the entire team has continued to move forward together. We’re making strong progress on the robot and are confident that this season will be a successful one. In addition, the robotics field is being upgraded with proper game pieces to better replicate the real competition environment.
Varsity: The Varsity Design team has been working on multiple shooter, hopper, and climber designs. While these projects have been challenging, the team has made great progress in developing solutions. Meanwhile, the Varsity Software team has been focusing on shooting game pieces while the robot is in motion. They have also made progress on hopper de-jamming and defining field regions.
Junior Varsity: The JV Design team has stayed busy prototyping the frame, shooter, intake, and climber. Balancing all of these components has been challenging, but the team is working hard to ensure their designs are well thought out. They recently held a design review with Varsity mentors to gather feedback and improve their concepts. The JV Software team has been developing code for the shooter, intake, drivetrain, climber, and their associated controls.
Business Services: The Business Services crew has been busy gearing up for Trivia Night, designing fun shirts and leveling up their videography skills along the way!
Week 3
The MARS/WARS team has been working hard this week as competitions are quickly approaching. Both teams are showing strong determination as they continue building and refining their robots. Along the way, we have also focused on field clean-up and improving storage organization. After all, a great bot comes from a clean and well-organized workspace.
Varsity:
The Varsity Design team has been putting in a lot of effort to create a robot design capable of completing all the tasks we are aiming for this season. After testing and exploring alternative designs, the competition bot is steadily progressing as the team works to determine the most effective features. Varsity Design is currently focused on several key areas, including autonomous coding, the shooter, and vision systems. Thanks to the outstanding collaboration between the Software and Design sub-teams, the robot continues to move forward successfully.
Junior Varsity:
The Junior Varsity Design team has been developing a base bot design with modifications to better suit competition needs. They are making great progress and have been working closely alongside Varsity, which has allowed for strong collaboration and learning. The JV Software team has been managing multiple tasks at once, including work on the shooter, drivetrain, and elevator.
Business Services:
The Business Service crew has been busy selling Super Bowl Squares and tables for the upcoming Trivia Night on February 21st, helping support the team and its activities.
Week 4
The MARS/WARS team has been doing an incredible job as competition quickly approaches. With competition also comes fundraising, and our biggest fundraiser of the year is Trivia Night on (February 21st). The team is asking for support from everyone—purchase a table and join us for a fun night in support of MARS/WARS. Our team relies on the support of our community, so if you haven’t bought a table yet, please consider doing so.
Varsity:
The Varsity Design team has been hard at work assembling the robot and has made exciting progress this week. Robot modeling is nearing completion, and with assembly underway, the team is focused on getting everything competition-ready. The shooter has been redesigned and is now on its second version, which is showing much more promise than the first. The team is aiming for a goal of 10+ balls per second. The climber has been fully modeled and is ready for manufacturing, while the intake design— inspired by Citrus Circuits’ 4-bar intake—has been modified to meet the team’s specific needs. The Varsity Software team has also been putting in extra effort as competition gets closer. They are actively working on scoring, shooting, and autonomous code. Vision training and target selection have been challenging, but the team continues to push forward and work extremely hard.
Junior Varsity:
The JV Design team has been just as busy as Varsity. They are finalizing their competition bot design and have begun gathering parts for construction. With their competition being 2 weeks later than the Varsity’s first competition, they have a little more time. The team is divided into four groups, each focused on a key subsystem: frame, intake, hoppers, and climbers. Their main inspiration is the Everybot, and their climber arm has already been completed. The JV Software team has shown the same determination as Varsity. They are working hard on intake and climber code, both of which have presented challenges. Driving code has been one of their biggest hurdles, as it relies on vision to determine field positioning. Although vision development has been slow, the team continues to make progress and put in strong effort across all areas.
Business Services:
The Business team has been working hard preparing for Trivia Night and the upcoming team shirts. Superbowl squares are no longer available for purchase, and we’ll soon be finding out who the winners are.
Week 5
The MARS/WARS team has been making great progress as we prepare for our first competition on March 4th in Winona, Minnesota. The Varsity robot is in a strong position, though there’s still plenty of work to be done before competition day. Our Open House is coming up quickly on March 14th—stop by to see what the team has been working on and learn more about our program!
Varsity:
The Varsity Design team has been working hard to complete the robot’s body. They’ve manufactured many parts, learning through trial and error along the way. One of their biggest challenges has been the climber mechanism. The CNC machine has presented some difficulties, especially with parts that require navigating tight or complex corners. Meanwhile, the Varsity Software team has been working under an even tighter time crunch. They’ve been focused on autonomous pathing and fine-tuning the robot’s main code. With only one competition robot available for testing and adjustments, scheduling has been a challenge for everyone. Vision processing has also been a work in progress, largely due to camera performance issues. Despite these obstacles, the Varsity team continues to push forward and is doing excellent work.
Junior Varsity:
The JV Design team has been putting in strong effort, even if they sometimes feel like progress has been slow. With an extra 2 weeks before their competition, their robot has made impressive strides, and they should be ready for CIR. They’ve been working on their bumpers and manufacturing parts for the climber, shooter, and intake systems. One exciting innovation is something they call the “Jiggler,” a mechanism designed to prevent balls from getting stuck and help guide them smoothly into the shooter. The team has been carefully assembling components step by step to ensure everything works together effectively. The JV Software team has been just as busy as their Varsity counterparts. They’ve been developing autonomous paths, refining shooter functionality, and fine-tuning their Human Machine Interface (HMI). Their continued dedication is helping bring the robot to life.
Business Services:
The Business Services team has been hard at work preparing for the Open House, rescheduling Trivia Night, and organizing the competition gear the team will need. They’ve been doing everything they can to keep things running smoothly behind the scenes. Overall, every branch of the MARS/WARS team has been working incredibly hard. We’re proud of the teamwork, dedication, and resilience everyone continues to show as competition approaches.
Week 6
The MARS/WARS team has been hard at work as our competitions approach in just a few weeks. Our Varsity robot is in a strong position and now entering the final stages of refinement and polishing. The Junior Varsity team has been equally busy, making impressive progress as they push toward completing their robot.
Varsity:
With the first Varsity competition only a week and a half away, it’s truly all hands on deck. The Varsity Design team has been developing a second iteration of their climber and building a new shooter. The updated shooter was designed to improve speed and reliability, as the previous version was too slow and prone to jamming. This new design addresses those issues and enhances overall performance. The team has also been carefully refining every subsystem and strategically reducing weight to stay within limits without sacrificing performance. At the same time, the Varsity Software team has been working diligently to program the robot for the autonomous portion of matches, advance the vision system, and fine-tune every remaining detail to maximize on-field performance. With competition quickly approaching, the entire Varsity team remains focused, motivated, and ready to compete at their highest level.
Junior Varsity:
The Junior Varsity Design team has put in an incredible amount of effort this past week. While the work has required patience and attention to detail, the robot has made significant progress and has come a long way from where it was just a week ago. The team has been focused on wiring, reinforcing supports, and completing motor installations. They encountered a minor challenge with the hopper, but they are already making steady progress toward resolving it so they can mount the superstructure onto the drivetrain. It’s been impressive to see how efficiently they are overcoming obstacles. Meanwhile, the JV Software team has been hard at work developing autonomous paths and conducting continuous testing. They are addressing bugs daily to fine-tune performance and are building a layout using Elastic. To test their code, they use simulation programs that allow them to identify and correct issues virtually before running the robot physically. Despite a few bumps along the way, the JV team is building strong momentum as competition approaches in less than two weeks.
Business Services:
The Business Services team has also been busy supporting the program in many ways. They have been heat-pressing team uniforms, creating a drive team post, and producing a season teaser video. In addition, they are preparing for the upcoming Open House on March 14th and Trivia Night on April 18th.Overall, the entire MARS/WARS team is putting in tremendous effort and showing great dedication as competition season approaches.
Week 7
The MARS/WARS team is heading into a demanding week as the varsity team prepares for competition in Winona, MN next weekend (3/6-3/7). Both our Varsity and Junior Varsity teams have been working hard. While JV will not be competing in Winona, they are preparing for the upcoming CIR at the Bradley Renaissance Center in Illinois. Be sure to follow us on The Blue Alliance and come cheer us on in Bradley.
Varsity:
The Varsity Design team has been especially productive with competition right around the corner. This week has been focused on refining and polishing every detail to ensure our robot performs at its best. They have been improving the bumpers, hoppers, and making several overall upgrades. The hopper rods have been upgraded with improved materials to increase performance, and there have been reductions made in the shooter’s pulley system to improve efficiency. The wiring has also been enhanced to allow smoother and more reliable robot movement. The Varsity Software team has been just as busy, making sure the Drive Team’s controllers function seamlessly with the intended code. Their main focus areas include Game States, Autonomous, climber alignment, and manual override. The Autonomous mode operates using event markers that tell the robot what to do and when to do it. Climber alignment works through an algorithm that follows a line to precisely position the robot for climbing. In addition, a manual override feature allows the robot to switch instantly to full manual control with the press of a button.
Junior Varsity:
The JV Design team has also been working hard and, with a little more time before their competition, has been focusing on fine-tuning performance and strengthening key components. They have improved the wiring to ensure smoother operation of essential robot parts, reinforced the climber to prevent issues during competition, and refined the “Jiggler” to improve its overall functionality. The JV Software team has been developing climber code and testing different coding bases. As the robot continues testing, the team has been identifying areas that need improvement, including addressing an issue with the motor intake. They are working to polish all systems and ensure everything is ready for competition.
Business Service:
Behind the scenes, the Business Services team has been managing all the important details that keep the team running smoothly. From organizing team shirts and polos to preparing merchandise and sharing updates, they have been handling the background work that supports the team’s success. The entire MARS/WARS team is incredibly excited for competition, and we cannot wait to make you all proud.
Week 8
Great Scott! MARS/WARS Rockets Into Week One Like It Hit 88 MPH!
March 5–7, MARS/WARS fired up the flux capacitor and blasted into their first competition of the season at the Minnesota Bluff Country Regional in Winona, Minnesota. After a bumpy start in their opening match, the team shifted into temporal overdrive—finishing the rest of qualification matches completely undefeated. By the end of quals, they weren’t just cruising… they were ranked Number One.
When alliance selection rolled around, MARS/WARS assembled a future‑ready super‑team by picking Team 5847 (Ironclad) and Team 112 (Plus One). This Illinois based trio stormed through finals without a single loss, clinching the Regional Championship and punching their ticket straight to Houston, Texas, for the World Championships.
But wait—there’s more! In addition to the blue banner, the team also earned the Creativity Award, recognizing their inventive robotic components and forward‑thinking engineering concepts. Doc Brown would be proud.
MARS/WARS wrapped up their first competition with style, speed, and serious skill—and now they’re tuning up for their next adventure March 20-21 at the Central Illinois Regional in Peoria, Illinois
Roads? Where they’re going… they don’t need roads—just great robotics.
