Vitruvian Bots Celebrate an Outstanding 2026 Robotics Season

Da Vinci’s FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Team 4201, The Vitruvian Bots, wrapped up an exceptional 2026 season defined not only by competitive success, but also by deep community impact across Southern California. With more than 80 students representing Da Vinci Science, Design, Communications, and Connect — supported by nearly a dozen industry mentors — the team demonstrated the power of hands-on learning, collaboration, and student leadership both on and off the competition field.

Building Skills, Building Community

The Vitruvian Bots are far more than a robotics team — they serve as a hub for the Southern California robotics community. Throughout the year, Team 4201 opens its doors to teams across the region, including those without access to a regulation practice field, welcoming them to train and prepare at Da Vinci’s facilities. The team also hosts an annual robotics summer camp and introduces younger students throughout the region to engineering, coding, and robotics, helping spark interest in STEAM pathways from an early age.

Throughout the fall semester, students immersed themselves in engineering design, software development, machining, fabrication, electrical systems, media production, and graphic design. New members got their first taste of competition at the SoCal Showdown, an offseason event hosted at Da Vinci's 201 campus in October. Forty-one teams from across California and Hawaii joined the action as students revived their 2025 robot and learned the flow of competition.

Team 4201 not only delivered a well-run event — they also reached the semifinals and earned the Community Catalyst Award, recognizing their growing impact beyond the school walls and their commitment to strengthening the broader robotics ecosystem.

Learn more about Team 4201’s year-round outreach and impact across Southern California here:

A New Challenge, A New Robot

In early January, FIRST released the 2026 global challenge: a fast-paced game involving nearly 500 foam balls on a basketball-court-sized field, with teams competing in 3-on-3 matches to score as many balls as possible. Students had just over eight weeks to design, build, wire, and program their new robot, Threepeater, applying every skill they had sharpened during the fall semester.

Watch the challenge animation here:
2026 FIRST Challenge Animation

Dominating the District Events

Threepeater made an impressive debut at the Los Angeles District Event, hosted in the Wiseburn Da Vinci Gym, where more than 1,300 high school students and 44 life-sized robots came together for an intense showcase of innovation, creativity and teamwork. Team 4201 ranked 3rd out of 42 teams, captained their alliance, and powered all the way to the Finals. The team also earned the event’s highest honor — the FIRST Impact Award — celebrating their leadership, outreach, and long-term commitment to expanding STEAM opportunities throughout their school and community. This achievement qualified them for the California State Championships.

Just weeks later at the Orange County District Event, the Vitruvian Bots repeated their strong performance: another 3rd-place ranking, another Finals appearance, and another major honor — the Engineering Inspiration Award, recognizing their success in elevating engineering education and access within their community.

State Championship Success

At the Southern California State Championship, Team 4201 competed against the top teams in the region. Despite early electrical challenges, they climbed to 15th out of 60 teams and joined the 8th alliance for a deep playoff run — including scoring the highest match total outside the winning alliance.

Watch that standout match here:
State Championship Match Highlights

The team then achieved another major milestone: winning the State-level FIRST Impact Award, earning their place at the World Championships in Houston. The award recognizes teams that best embody the mission of FIRST through sustained outreach, inclusion, mentorship, and community engagement.

Representing Da Vinci on the World Stage

At the World Championships, Da Vinci students connected with colleges, nonprofits, and industry partners eager to recruit FIRST participants. They networked with more than 600 teams from around the world, gathering new ideas to strengthen both their program and their future career paths.

The team also:

• Attended RoboProm, a beloved FIRST tradition
• Coordinated a 53-foot truck to transport Southern California teams’ robots and equipment to Houston
• Supported other teams preparing for Impact Award presentations
• Competed fiercely, with Threepeater ranking 36th out of 75 teams in their division

A Season Powered by Community

None of this would have been possible without the incredible support of mentors, chaperones, parents, sponsors, alumni, and the entire Da Vinci community. Their time, expertise, and encouragement helped fuel a season filled with growth, achievement, service, and unforgettable experiences.

By opening their facilities to neighboring teams, mentoring younger students, hosting camps and competitions, and creating pathways into engineering for students across the region, the Vitruvian Bots continue to demonstrate that robotics is about far more than building robots — it is about building community.

Team 4201 returns home proud, inspired, and already dreaming even bigger for 2027.