Bomber Squad’s Robocio wins Oxford Invitational Youth Robotics Challenge

The Oxford Invitational Youth Robotics Challenge winning Bomber Squad was treated to a celebratory pizza party and plant tour by sponsor Hydra Dyne Tech of Ingersoll. Pictured are Bomber Squad members, front row, left to right: Milo Herbert, Hannah Madanant, Ana Hopper and Becca Hopper. In the back are Ivan Meadows, Ingersoll DCI mentor Elaine Di Stefano, Hydra Dyne Maintenance Manager Trevor Jackson, Hydra Dyne Manufacturing Manager Nathan Van de Kemp, IDCI mentor Greg Hiemstra and Kurtis McNutt. (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Echo Correspondent

It may have seemed like a stretch at the time.

But seven-year-old Ivan Meadows’ love for computer games would actually have a bearing on a future career path.

“I love computer science,” said the Grade 12 member of the Ingersoll DCI Oxford Invitational Youth Robotics Challenge (OIYRC) winning Bomber Squad. “Obsessed since I was a kid.”

While an affinity for Minecraft or LittleBigPlanet may once have appeared to be purely recreational, high school computer classes discovered in Grade 10 and involvement with the OIYRC have provided a gateway to a potential future—one that would be difficult to argue will not be in demand.

“Something with programming at the very least,” said Meadows, who enjoys the ‘click and drag’ approach of Scratch block coding, the ‘easy entry’ into coding through the program layers of visual model games. “They’re a way to express yourself and tell a story.”

Having recently completed its 18th iteration, the OIYRC is a community-based partnership exposing area youth to the potential of careers in technology, engineering and skilled trades. Hosted on Nov. 27, 2025, inside Woodstock’s Goff Hall, it is open to school, club or youth group teams of at least four members, supported by teachers and adult mentors who must act only in an advisory role. This year’s 16-member field came from across the Thames Valley District School Board, the London District Catholic School Board and Rehoboth Christian School in Norwich. A list of community sponsors supports the event and/or individual teams, with the latter encouraged to tour sponsor locations where possible to extend the learning opportunity.

“Just to help kids understand how robotics will apply to real life,” said Trevor Jackson, Maintenance Manager with Hydra Dyne Tech of Ingersoll. The company sponsored the Bomber Squad, hosted a celebratory pizza party for the team in its cafeteria, and provided a plant tour for its members.

“We like showing kids the possibility of what you can do with different aspects of their education,” added Hydra Dyne Manufacturing Manager Nathan Van de Kemp.

Exposing youth to broader possibilities through events like the OIYRC or accepting co-op students can also be beneficial to the company, said Van de Kemp. Educating young people that good, well-paying careers, including robotic technician or CNC operator, exist can expand their perspective talent pool into those previously only considering more traditional options like medical professional, educator or firefighter. “This is what’s out there.”

This year’s challenge was building and programming a functioning robotic fertilizer applicator from a Lego Spike Prime kit, able to apply or not apply beads representing fertilizer from an onboard hopper to specific target areas on a colour-coded Lego ‘field’, three beans on green, two on red and one on white.

“The competition was pretty much run it and get judged,” said IDCI computer programming teacher and mentor Elaine Di Stefano (along with Greg Hiemstra).

To get to that point, entries had to qualify through a process including a written report, operational video and oral presentation. Programming is an integral component to success, but the challenge is designed to require other applicable skillsets, including engineering, construction, communication and management.

Ana Potter unofficially filled the latter role, a Grade 13 student first exposed to robotics challenges in Grade 6, who Di Stefano describes as a hard recruiter. Ana’s Grade 11 sister Becca got there through her influence and a liking for Lego, while Grade 9 Hannah Madanant’s motivation was a combination of personal interest and future growth.

“It was a good opportunity to understand how the process looks for next year.”

Grade 11 Milo Herbert’s interest in music, art and animation was sourced and fellow Grade 11 Kurtis McNutt was invited - perhaps coerced - following an appearance at the previous year’s OIYRC team ice cream party.

“It was fun, it was interesting… and Becca made me,” McNutt laughed. “I was an indentured coder.”

The Bomber Squad’s commitment stretched into two-and-a-half months of non-classroom time at lunch or after school. In practice, Ana Potter took point on coordination and the movie with her sister, Meadows was lead programmer, Madanant compiled the written report, and the two Potters, McNutt and Herbert, were involved in construction.

Robocio, the Bomber Squad robot, was a gender-fluid creation, depending on performance, laughed Di Stefano.

“When it was being finicky, it was a he, when it was behaving, it was a she.”

There were undoubtedly challenges, and it was with mixed excitement and nervousness that they greeted OIYRC judges midway through the competition in Goff Hall. Becca Potter had been among those sneaking glances at competitors’ performances, noting one robot laying three rows of beans down perfectly, before suffering turning issues.

“I got so nervous,” she admitted.

As the Bomber Squad held its collective breath, Robocio performed at least as well as expected.

“For the most part,” said Ana Potter. “It jammed a couple of times, but it dropped more beads than anyone else.”

“They (the judges) said it was the best so far,” added Meadows.

Thus encouraged, the Bomber Squad waited nervously as the judging crew completed its rounds, ultimately announcing they had indeed won the 2025 OIYRC challenge.

The success and effort were very much student-driven, according to Di Stefano, impressed with the team’s level of commitment and time spent on the project.

“They wanted to work hard to be competitive; they didn’t want it just to function, they wanted it to be excellent.”

“It felt rewarding with how much time we put in,” Ana Potter concluded. “To see results come from it was a really good feeling.”