Iowa Teen Robotics Team Wins State With Transforming Robot

When most teams faced a puzzle requiring two robots to fit inside an 18-inch box, Iowa's EagleBots did something unexpected. They built a robot that transforms itself into a ramp for another robot to climb.

The EagleBots are a student robotics team from the Washington and Johnson County region that includes kids from Mid-Prairie schools and homeschool programs. Team president Ben Lothamer explained that their transforming design forced them to work with less than 20% of the space other teams had available.

"We were left with under 20% the volume of a normal robot to fit all of the normal control systems in," Lothamer said. The team responded by creating a custom swerve drive system that works like a powered caster wheel, allowing their robot to move in any direction with greater efficiency.

Every component is designed and built by the students themselves. Parts are either 3D-printed or CNC-machined by team members, and students wrote all the programming code that lets the robot navigate and score points autonomously for 30 seconds before human drivers take over.

The innovation paid off. The team won the FIRST Tech Challenge Iowa Championship and earned the Inspire Award, which recognizes excellence in robot design, innovation, outreach and leadership.

But the EagleBots aren't just about building machines. The team operates like a real company, with students taking on roles in engineering, programming, marketing, and community outreach. Members regularly visit schools, libraries, and county fairs to introduce younger kids to STEM education and robotics.

Lothamer joined as soon as he could in seventh grade and watched the team explode in size. "We've gone from about three members to 24 members now," he said. The group now meets at Montgomery Hall at the Johnson County Fairgrounds, where different workstations allow students to tackle various aspects of robot design simultaneously.

The Ripple Effect

The team's success is creating waves beyond their own competitions. They partner with 4-H and Boy Scout programs to give younger students hands-on experience with engineering concepts. Next season, they plan to launch a second competition team and add an elementary-level program, multiplying their impact across the region.

Each match creates a unique environment where teams might compete alongside an opponent in one round and face them in the next, teaching students that collaboration and competition can coexist.

These students are proving that creative problem-solving and teamwork can overcome any space constraint, and they're making sure the next generation gets the same chance to transform challenges into opportunities.