2024
2024 - Our 13th Season -4342 is TUNED-UP for CRESCENDO!!!
History of Team 4342
Demon Robotics is a non-profit team at Kennett High School. All club officers and team members are students of Kennett High School. Membership has more than doubled since 2011!
In 2011, Demon Robotics Team was founded as a new club at Kennett High School by KHS student, Steven Lawton and teacher, Dan Folmar. Demon Robotics first participated in the regional competition of 2012 as part of the world’s FIRST® organization.
In their first competition season, the team built a 100 lb robot named "Demonator" that played basketball with robots from more than 90 other teams in the Mid-Atlantic region. "Demonator" won a Rookie All Star award and placed second at a regional competition. The team did well enough to place in the top half of almost 100 teams and advanced to the Mid-Atlantic Regional District Championship at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia.
In the 2013 competition season, Ultimate Ascent, the team built a robot named "D2" that shot discs (frisbees) into goals and it also climbed a playground-like A-frame. Once again the team finished in the top third of the teams and advanced to the Mid Atlantic Regional Championship at Lehigh University in April.
2014 "D3" competed in Aerial Assist.
2015 Recycle Rush was the game and "D4" was built for the competitions.
In 2016 "D5" was built and competed in Stronghold where we competed strongly at our two regional competitions and qualified for the MAR District Championships at Lehigh University.
2017 was a groundbreaking year for the team, it was our first year going to Worlds. In Steamworks, “D6” (or “Steaminator”), was able to place gears with ease, and Sarah, our pilot, was the best on the field. Prior to Worlds, the team won its first district competition and was a finalist at the other. The team also won an award, allowing the team to qualify and compete at the FMA Championships at Lehigh University. The team grew even closer and really became a family.
2018 was a continuation of 2017, we grew closer and accomplished more. We achieved working with a swerve drive for the first time on “D7” for Power Up, and won awards at both of our district competitions. Our performance at FMA Championships secured us a spot for World championships. Worlds in Detroit saw Demon Robotics descend upon the Motor City, and have the best time of our lives!
“D8” was designed and built in 2019 for Destination Deep Space, and it was another year where the team experienced growth in numbers, experience, and success. We started the season with a record number of students and worked together to develop our comprehensive robot and strategy for the game. Our team’s success centered on a cohesive, communicative, and consistent team. We set out with the goal to qualify for the World Championship in Detroit and that is exactly what we did! This season we were honored with 4 awards, one each at our two district competitions, then one at FMA Champs, and the last at World Championships! Three of these awards we coined our “Trifecta” (or Hat Trick, or Triple Crown) because we won FIRST’s Team Spirit Award at all three levels of competitions - regional, regional champs, and world championships!
2020… This is a extremely difficult and emotional one to sum-up. “D9” was by far the most advanced and slick robot the team has designed, built, programmed, and prepared for competition to date. The complex game was Infinite Recharge. All sub-teams were at the top of their game and the drive team was more than ready to compete at a high level this season. Then the week of our first competition, the pandemic shut everything down. Absolute heartbreak for everyone on the team, but most especially for our seniors. They never got their final season of FIRST Robotics Competition and see their hard work shine as it most definitely would have.
2021 did not bring an opportunity to build a new robot for competition, but we were thankful that FIRST offered various “At Home” and virtual competitions for Game Changers. The team met virtually while school was still not in person, then transitioned into pods for small work groups. Even with all the additional challenges this year brought, the team found success again. With a Game Design challenge, the team created an amazing FRC game called “HARVEST”. Three awards were given to the team for this: Concept Award, Finalist for Game Design, and the highest honor, Winner of the Game Design Challenge - there were only 3 winners in the world! In addition there was an At Home Infinite Recharge Challenge where the team was able to use 2020’s “D9” to compete in various driving, scoring, and automation challenges. The team was the winner for the Carbon Group (similar to the World Groupings). Everyone was hoping that 2022 would bring back in person competitions. > The team had not competed since April 2019 at the FIRST® World Championships in Detroit, MI. Sadly, the team missed out on all competitions in 2020 with the cancellation of the season due to the pandemic. In 2021, the team was able to participate in “At Home” virtual challenges. <
2022 back in the shop to design, build, program, and prepare for Rapid React. “D11” competed at Springside Chestnut Hill and for the first time at Seneca. During competition, the team finished the qualification rounds at both as captains of the 2nd and 3rd alliances and were eliminated in semi-finals. At both district competitions the judges honored the team with awards: SCH: Innovation In Control Award SEN: Team Spirit Award. Once again, 4342 qualified to compete at the FIRST® Mid-Atlantic Championships where upon completion we earned a spot for the FIRST® World Championships in Houston, TX. The team’s fourth trip to Worlds was the team’s first time in Houston. For the second time, 4342 was honored with an award at Worlds: Innovation In Control!
2023…. update coming soon!
Team Growth
Annual Team Composition
2022 - 2023 Team Composition:
29 Student Members & 10 Adult Mentors
2021 - 2022 Team Composition:
37 Student Members & 11 Adult Mentors
2020 - 2021 Team Composition:
44 Student Members & 12 Adult Mentors
2019 - 2020 Team Composition:
66 Student Members & 13 Adult Mentors
2018 - 2019 Team Composition:
50 Student Members & 12 Adult Mentors
2017 - 2018 TEAM COMPOSITION:
36 Student Members & 11 Adult Mentors
2016 - 2017 Team Composition:
25 Student Members & 13 Adult Mentors
2015 - 2016 TEAM COMPOSITION:
42 Student Members & 11 Adult Mentors
2014 - 2015 TEAM COMPOSITION:
34 Student Members & 9 Adult Mentors
2013 - 2014 TEAM COMPOSITION:
28 Student Members & 8 Adult Mentors
2012 - 2013 TEAM COMPOSITION:
30 Student Members & 7 Adult Mentors
2011 - 2012 Team Composition:
13 Student Members & 6 Adult Mentors
Demon Robotics Annual Budget:
Necessary
$6000 - Registration for District Competitions, Initial Kit of Parts, FIRST Team Support
$3500 - Additional Parts, Tools & Shop Materials
$500 - Practice Field Components
$500 - Pre-Season events
$1500 - Competition Shirts & Marketing Materials
Potential
$6000 - District Championships (Lehigh University) - Qualification Required*
$6000 - World Championships (Houston) - Qualification Required*
*Not including additional costs such as transportation and accommodations.