Spare Parts

In 2004 four Mexican students travel from Phoenix to UCSB to participate in the Marine Advanced Technology Education Robotics Competition. They come from an underfunded public high school and face steep odds with limited resources. Their arrival marks the start of an underdog robotics effort.

Oscar Vazquez visits a U.S. Army recruitment center hoping to enlist, but learns his immigration status blocks him from service. He discovers the underwater robotics competition as an alternative path to build a future in STEM. This realization steers his focus toward the team and their project.

Fredi Cameron is hired as a substitute teacher at Carl Hayden High School to supervise the engineering club. In the parking lot, Lorenzo Santillan tweaks a car temperature sensor for a quick payoff, foreshadowing his risky behavior. Cameron’s arrival sets the stage for the team’s mentorship.

Cameron takes on the role of advisor to the engineering club and meets Vazquez, who wants help building a remotely operated underwater robot. They commit to entering the competition and start planning the project. The team begins to recruit more members.

Vazquez brings in Cristian Arcega after Gwen Kolinsky recommends him. Arcega takes on the technical lead and outlines an initial design for the robot. He sketches ideas for how the machine could complete the competition tasks.

Cameron suggests building a proof of concept prototype to test ideas before full construction. Gwen Kolinsky teaches PBASIC to help implement the robot's control software. The team begins to integrate hardware and software concepts.

After Cameron catches Santillan stealing, he forces him to join the team and become part of the Robotics Academic Club. They recruit Luis Aranda to help lift the robot in and out of the pool. The expanded roster strengthens the team's capability to complete tasks.

With limited funds, the team raises 663.53 dollars plus Cameron's 134.63, forcing them to scale back the original design. They scavenge parts from local sources and even rely on glue to hold the robot together, earning the nickname Stinky. The resourcefulness becomes a key part of their success.

Travel to Santa Barbara is complicated because three of the four boys are illegal immigrants. They must navigate legal and logistical hurdles while preparing for the competition. The team remains determined to pursue their dream despite the risks.

The night before the competition a leak in the case protecting the intelligence module forces the team to improvise a fix using tampons to contain water. The fix demonstrates their improvisational engineering under pressure. Their makeshift solution allows them to proceed to the competition.

The Phoenix team faces highly funded college rivals, including MIT backed by a large ExxonMobil grant. Despite a tight budget, their robot finishes the practical segment in fourth place with 75 points after missing three tasks. They remain hopeful for a high overall ranking based on the judges' evaluation.

During the awards ceremony, the team expects only a Special Achievement award. They are stunned when they are announced as the champions of the event. The victory becomes a celebrated testament to perseverance and teamwork.