8095 Nanobots

Norfolk, VA · The Whale

Welcome to the 8095 Nanobots robotics website! We are a passionate group of innovators dedicated to exploring the cutting edge of STEM through competitive robotics. Comprised of talented students with diverse skills in engineering, programming, and problem-solving, we thrive on collaboration and creativity. Guided by our experienced mentor, Dr. Call, we design, build, and program advanced robots to compete in FTC, all while fostering a love for technology and teamwork. With a commitment to excellence and a drive to inspire others, we embody the spirit of gracious professionalism.

Meet the Team

Xander Dukas

Structure Captain

Known for his exceptional leadership and dedication, Xander has been responsible for guiding the team’s structural designs to success. This year, he has embraced a more hands-off leadership approach, empowering team members to take initiative and grow in their roles. A natural mentor, Xander has been particularly impactful in helping new sophomores develop their skills and confidence, ensuring the team’s future remains strong.

Class of 2025

Anna Iacobucci

Notebook Captain

With a passion for organization and storytelling, Anna has been instrumental in documenting every detail of the robot construction process, ensuring the team's progress is accurately recorded. She also co-created the team's poster, showcasing her creative flair and commitment to the team's success. Anna’s leadership and meticulous note-taking have set a high standard, making her an invaluable member of the team.

Class of 2025

Ray Wang

Coding Captain

Ray has played a pivotal role in bringing our robot to life. Utilizing his expertise and collaborating with AI tools like ChatGPT, he has meticulously coded the robot to ensure peak performance. Ray's dedication and perseverance have been the cornerstone of his success. Despite facing numerous coding errors and technical challenges, he consistently rose to the occasion, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the team's goals.

Class of 2025

Kevin Park

Coding Co-Captain

As coding co-captain, Kevin has helped write the code for both the autonomous and teleoperated rounds, while also knowing his way around the robot itself. Kevin's physical knowledge of the robot greatly strengthens the coding department's ability to code around certain limitations in our design. This year, he hopes to "leave behind a burning legacy."

Class of 2025

Leo Jones

Outreach Coordinator

Passionate about giving back to the community, Leo organizes impactful volunteering opportunities with ForKids, a nonprofit focused on helping children and families in need. Originally started by his sister, this volunteering initiative has become a meaningful tradition that Leo proudly continues every summer. With his strong organizational skills and a heart for service, Leo ensures the team not only excels in robotics but also makes a positive difference in the lives of others.

Class of 2026

Myles Bryan

Structure Co-Captain

With a keen eye for design and a dedication to excellence, Myles is the mastermind behind our robot's intake mechanism, a critical functionality for efficiency. His contributions go beyond technical expertise—Myles' passion and enthusiasm inspire everyone on the team, creating an environment of collaboration and creativity. Whether brainstorming solutions or fine-tuning designs, Myles is a driving force behind our success.

Class of 2026

Quinn Parvin

Electronics Captain

At the start of the school year, Quinn designed and built "Drift Bot," an innovative testing platform for our electronics equipment. This creation not only ensured the reliability of our systems but also served as a hands-on learning tool for the team. Quinn’s dedication and enthusiasm have motivated our sophomore members to dive into the building process with confidence, fostering collaboration and invention. His contributions continue to drive our team’s success and innovation.

Class of 2026

Jay Fernando

Notebook Co-Captain

Ensuring every step of our journey is recorded with precision and clarity, Jay's meticulous attention to detail has paid off in documenting our building process. She also played a key role in designing and creating our team poster, showcasing her creativity and commitment to representing our team with pride. Beyond her leadership in documentation, Jay has been critical in tracking and analyzing the challenges our team faced, helping us strategize solutions and grow stronger as a unit.

Class of 2026

Miles McKenzie

Structure Co-Captain

Miles has played a pivotal role in designing the base of the robot, ensuring a strong and stable foundation for its functionality. He also contributed to the innovative design of the Z-screw component, which was then carried out by a sophomore member, showcasing his problem-solving skills and attention to detail. Beyond his mechanical contributions, Miles developed the team website, creating the professional and engaging platform to share achievements and updates.

Class of 2026

Other Notable Members

  • Ben Warburton - Structure
  • Lincoln Hatch - Coding
  • Adi Thapa - Structure
  • Grant Fernandez - Structure
  • Michael Long - Coding
  • Mikey Regner - Structure
  • Quinton Innis - Electronics

    • Our Robot

    This year, we are taking a more frugal approach to our design. Instead of buying loads of new parts, we are making do with what we already have. The only new parts we buy are critical replacements to outdated components or unique parts, such as the worm gear, that we never had in the first place. This approach allows us to save money in our budget to afford better robots for our outreach initiative with ForKids. We have been using Lego Mindstorm EV3s, and since this generation has been out since 2013, we believe it is time for an upgrade.

    Features

    ... ... ... ...
    Viper Slides

    The key component of our arm

    Wheels

    Four 104mm Mecanum Wheels

    Claw

    Our Pincer Design

    Z-Screw

    To support the hang

    Strategy

    Autonomous

    In the autonomous phase of the competition, our plan is simple: preload and score once in the high basket, then secure those sweet parking points.

    Tele-Op

    Once we get our hands on the controller, we will be able to:

    • Hang specimens
    • Score in the upper basket
    • Complete a first-bar hang

    Our wide variety of point-scoring options makes it easy to partner with just about anyone in an alliance.

    Our Impact

    Since 2023, our summers have been devoted to our volunteering initiative with ForKids. Over the course of 6 weeks, we spend 2 hours every Wednesday with children that are homeless or are from low-income backgrounds. During this time, we don't try to teach the kids all of the minute details of robotics, but rather cater to them an introductory experience so that they can figure out if robotics is truly interesting. Our usage of Lego Mindstorm EV3's shaped a straightforward learning environment, and it was easy for the kids to pick up. Many of our team's alumni even come back to contribute to this initiative.

    Awards

    • 2019 - Connect Award, 3 rd place
    • 2021 - Control Award, 2 nd place
    • 2021 - Innovate Award
    • 2022 - Design Award
    • 2022 - Finalist Alliance - 1 st team selected
    • 2023 - Connect Award, 3 rd place
    • 2023 - Inspire Award, 3 rd place
    • 2023 - Think Award
    • 2023 - Motivate Award, 3 rd place
    • 2024 - Think Award, 2 nd place