Info - The Drop Bears
About us
We are a team of high school students, sharing our passion for STEM. Split into sub-teams and with support from our industry-skilled mentors, we compete in the worldwide, annual FIRST Robotics Competition.
Our team is based at USYD in Sydney, Australia.
Meeting Schedule
- Build Season (January – Mid-March): During School holidays: Daily Thursday to Monday 11am – 5pm During Term time: Saturday, Sunday 11am – 5pm and Thursday, Friday, Monday 4pm – 8pm
- Off Season: Selected weekend day and a weekday after school as and if required
- Location: J04 Rose Street Building, Australian Centre for Robotics, Faculty of Engineering in The University of Sydney.
Subteams
Mechanical
The Mechanical Team is charged with the nuts and bolts of engineering the robot.
It provides the opportunity for students to:
- Design, and draw plans for engineering
- Test designs both physically and theoretically
- Physically construct the robot
- Provide ongoing maintenance of the robot
Students learn to use programs such as Onshape, a Computer Aided Design (CAD) package and develop skills within engineering mechanics to solve problems and design solutions.
Controls
In charge of controlling the robot and making it intelligent.
It provides the opportunity for students to:
- Vision, using cameras to provide the robot with useful information.
- Autonomous, giving the robot predetermined actions.
- Dashboard, provide the robot drivers with useful information about the robot.
Software students will be taught, over the course of the season:
- Programming in Python.
- Problem solving.
- Collaboration with other team members.
Mentors
Our team is supported by a diverse group of mentors experienced in a variety of relevant fields from industry, academia, and government service. Mentors are the backbone of the team. Together, they share their knowledge, skills, and experience with students. The mentors provide guidance to the students, help them overcome challenges, and fill in the gaps in their knowledge and skills. In doing this, they guide and encourage students towards making good decisions themselves - not by doing things for them.
Head Mentors - Past and Present
Lucien Morey
Head Mentor, 2025 to Present
Lucien is a software engineer who has extensive experience in spacecraft flight programming and is now working in advanced drone technology. He was a student in the team from 2013 to 2015 and returned as a mentor in 2017.
Dr James Ward
Head Mentor, 2013 to 2019, 2023 to 2025
James combines his aeronautical engineering degree with a PhD in mechatronics to help students discover a passion for STEM subjects, and apply that passion in a way that goes far beyond what they could do at school. James is continuing to provide remote input to The Drop Bears while he is temporarily in the USA.
Ian Thomas
Head Mentor, 2022 to 2023
Ian is a professional working in engineering design and robotics. A founding member of the team in 2013 as a student, Ian is now giving back to the next generation of students as a mentor, with his particular emphasis being on mechanical design.
Andreas Heintze
Head Mentor, 2019 to 2022
Andreas, an engineer originally specialising in hydraulics, spent seven years with the team while a senior executive in a prominent consulting engineering company.