Our community-based team consists of members from schools across Austin. Even though we all have different roles in the building process, one thing we have in common is our shared passion for Robotics. Joining the team, learning all about robotics, working through many hurdles, and striving to succeed is only possible due to our shared passion and commitment to the challenge we love.
Aman Meka is in 7th grade. It is his first year of FTC experience. He joined FTC because he is interested in hardware and software engineering. His role on the team is being a member of the drive team. On the team he also helps with building the robot. This year he took up the position as a driver. Outside of robotics Aman enjoys playing tennis. He hopes to get a career in software development.
Collin Schaefer is currently in 10th grade, and this is his fourth year participating in FTC. Collin is on the CAD team and also has fun doing assembly. He hopes to pursue a career in the field of engineering. In his free time, Collin enjoys working on personal projects and going to the gym. He also loves talking to other teams and doing outreach activities!
Ryder Hill is currently in 8th grade, and this is his first year participating in FTC. Ryder is on the Assembly team and occasionally helps with cad. He hopes to pursue a career in engineering. In his free time Ryder enjoys reading and playing soccer. He also loves learning new things and building robots.
I was born in Springfield, Missouri and spent the first year of my life there. My family and I moved to Austin then, and lived their for 2 years before my sister was born. During elementary school, I found that I was drawn to math and science more than I was drawn to reading, writing, and history. Most of all, I found I was drawn to technology. Computers, tablets, phones. Getting them to do my for me, and, I found that I was good at the mystical art of coding. So into middle school I went, knowing what I wanted to do. The first year I took Intro to coding, to get myself antiquated with languages like python, languages that go line by line, instead of blocks. The next year, I took Advanced coding, to have more fun with coding, and learn things like AI, chat bots, web scraping, and other more advanced coding tools. That year I also met Alex and Gabe Brown, when they were running a D&D campaign for Collin, David and me. They spoke about Eclipse 12670. A robotics team, where you build robots to play games. To me, that sounded like the opportunity of a lifetime. Have fun, be part of a team, and do physical coding, a type of coding I had never done before! So joined I did, and so far it has met all my expectations, and even exceeded some of them! Its so satisfying to finally see the robot do exactly what you want it to do. Its really cool to see the robot come together in the computer, and even better when you see it come together in real life. As I prepare to go to high school, I hope to stay on the team, and continue to make great robots together.
David Dube is in 8th grade. He has 2 years of FTC experience, and joined FTC because he enjoys programming and building robots. His role on the team is to program and test the robots. He also enjoys designing and manufacturing parts. Outside of robotics, he likes to bike and read. He hopes to get a career in either computer science or mechanical engineering.
Caleb Mangum is currently in 8th grade, and this is his first year participating in FTC. Caleb is on the CAD team and enjoys assembly. He hopes to pursue a career in engineering or design. In his free time Caleb enjoys reading and hanging out with friends. He also loves learning new things and doing marketing for the team
Collin Schaefer is a first year member to team Eclipse, he likes robotics passionately and loves engineering. Collin’s roles on the team include CAD and manufacturing. Collin enjoys small coding projects and reading outside of robotics. Collin wants to pursue a career in mechanical engineering or electrical engineering.
David Dube is a first-year member of FTC robotics, however, he does have other robotics experiences, such as Lego robotics. He likes to design and build mechanisms and creating random structures. David also likes to code. He wants to pursue a career as a software engineer.
Felix Murdock is a 7th grader and a first year member of FTC with a year of LEGO robotics experience. He is inquisitive, and loves to play D&D in his spare time. He also plays piano and is an obsessive reader. He speaks 2 languages, and is learning another. During the summer, he and his family usually go to Europe because of the heat in Austin during the summers. A strong pet-lover, especially dogs (and cats), he owns one himself and attempts to pet any dog he meets.
John Lupher started coaching FTC because he enjoys sharing his love of engineering and product development with anyone interested in learning. He is the the founder and CEO of Evermore Systems, a technology development company responsible for the foundational technology of a number of startup companies. He co-founded TrackingPoint and served as CTO, CEO and on the board of directors. He has also developed a number of kinematic measurement systems for golfers including systems supporting golf instructor Mr. Dave Pelz and a number of his students. He is a Graduate Engineer with degrees from Texas A&M University and Stanford University.