The DLS robotics team, the AutoPilots, heads to Milford this weekend for their first district competition of the 2026 season. 

The team will be at Milford High School March 13 - 14. Fans can follow the event online through FIRST in Michigan at the event page:
https://firstinmichigan.us/FRC/mimil/

The competition is part of the FIRST Robotics Competition, an international robotics program that challenges high school students to design, build, and compete with industrial-size robots.

The AutoPilots have spent the past several weeks preparing their robot, including participating in unofficial scrimmage events to test their design against real competition before the official matches begin.

This weekend’s event is the first of two district competitions for the team. Their second event is March 27–29 at Troy Athens High School.

Combined district points from both competitions determine whether a team advances to the Michigan State Championship, scheduled for April 16–18 at Saginaw Valley State University.

Faculty moderator Rob Black said the students have spent months preparing for the competition.

“The boys have worked really closely with their mentors over the past two months, designing, building, and testing multiple options to maximize our robot’s functions,” Black said.

“They have put in countless hours after school and on the weekends, and it is finally competition week.”

Black also thanked the team’s parent mentors and families who have supported the students throughout the build season.

“I want to send a huge thank you to our team’s parent mentors for all the work they have done with the boys, and our parents who have provided meals and snacks for the team almost every day,” he said.

How Advancement Works in Michigan

In the Michigan district system, teams compete in two district events and earn points based on several factors:

• Qualification match performance
• Alliance selection
• Playoff performance
• Awards

Michigan has more than 500 teams participating in the FIRST Robotics Competition. The top 160 teams advance to the state championship, and the top 80 teams at that event move on to the FIRST Robotics World Championship.

This Year’s Game

The primary scoring object in this year’s game is a six-inch foam ball called “fuel,” designed to be shot into scoring goals.

Robots can score points by:

• Shooting fuel into goals
• Climbing at the end of the match

There are three climb levels:

• L1 – lowest point value
• L2 – mid-level
• L3 – highest scoring

The AutoPilots’ goal is to be competition-ready with an L1 climb at their first district event and continue developing toward an L3 climb by their second competition or the state championship.