LASA provides a rigorous set of courses and clubs to allow students to practice real-world applications and develop expertise in their respective passions. LASA Robotics, however, goes beyond this. Robotics competitions hone critical thinking skills and improve engineering mindsets in a fun and engaging environment that prioritizes teamwork. Members develop special bonds much like on sports teams, or theater and musical ensembles. There is mutual admiration for the skills and spirit each individual brings to the team and a tangible sense of common purpose: to design robots that do extraordinary things while building joy and collective brainpower along the way. LASA Robotics isn’t just a club. We’re a team!
The origins of LASA Robotics date back to 1993 before the Liberal Arts and Science Academy existed. We were located at LBJ as part of their Science Academy. The Liberal Arts Academy at Johnston High School merged with the Science Academy in 2002 and became the Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA). In our early years, we competed in BEST robotics competitions with VEX, MATE (Marine Advanced Technology Education), and TCEA (Texas Computer Education Association). We then joined up with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), initially participating in FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition). The robotics team, #418, was formed in 2000 as a part of the LBJ Science Academy. The LASA Robotics team goes by the name Purple Haze. We also had FTC Teams 4290, 5998, 9874, and 9875 before returning to only competing in FRC.
The FIRST robotics community is a launch pad for future inventors and engineers. Approximately 95% of our alumni go on to pursue careers in STEM fields. In fact, our mentor team includes former LASA students thriving in careers in aerospace engineering, computer science, and technology.
Building a robot is a complicated task, and everyone gets stuck at some point. Luckily, the mentors at LASA Robotics are here to guide us along the way. With their industry knowledge and years of competition experiences, our mentors help prepare us for both competition and the real world.
Every year, we recruit an increasingly diverse group of team members who bring unique and valued talents in all areas of innovation, including art and design, media and communication, and coding and engineering. A well-rounded team made up of passionate learners, creative problem-solvers, and people who enjoy each other’s company (and getting their hands dirty) makes the robotics competition journey most rewarding. If you love questioning how things work, being challenged, and laughing a lot, you may be the perfect fit for Purple Haze.
The Design team uses CAD software to design robot mechanisms and collaborates with the Fabrication team to assemble the robot.
