The Dos Pueblos High School robotics team, Octobots Robotics 9084, is saying farewell to its award-winning robot named “Dave.”

After a successful competition season, the team is inviting the public to Dave’s Retirement Celebration with an open house, 6:30-8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27 at Dos Pueblos High School, room T-6.

Visitors are invited to meet Dave up-close to see what he is made of and how he works.

The event will include hands-on activities for the family; a demonstration of Dave in action; and an opportunity to ask this student-led robotics team questions to learn more about the innovation and teamwork behind the success of Dave.

Dave was built over an intensive, six-week period by a group of more than 30 students who programmed, designed, built and modified Dave into a robot that could move quickly, pick up and throw tubes and balls within seconds with repetition and accuracy, and climb to hold his entire weight independently.

Dave competed in three in-season robotic tournaments and ended the official season ranked in the top 5% of FIRST Robotics teams (179 out of 3,690) worldwide, top 5% (147 out of 2,927) in the U.S., and the top 7% (19 out of 290) in the highly competitive California region.

Dave and the Octobots Robotics team took home two awards in the season including the Excellence in Engineering award in April 2025 and the “Rising All-Star” award in March 2025.

Dave’s last competition appearance will be at Tidal Tumble https://www.tidaltumble.com/, an off-season competition Oct. 18-19 at the Ventura County Fair Grounds. The event is free to the general public to attend.

While his competition days will be over, Dave “plans” to spend his golden years doing good in the community as an ambassador for STEM and hands-on learning by attending local elementary school science nights and community fairs.

Established by a small group of robot-enthusiastic high school students and volunteer mentors in 2023 as the only FIRST robotics team serving students in the Goleta and Santa Barbara area, Octobots Robotics is an all-volunteer, all-inclusive team of 30-60 high school students based at Dos Pueblos High School.

The program is designed to inspire students to become science and technology leaders and innovators by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs and competitions that build business, science, engineering, and technology skills.

The team is further committed to promoting STEM education in the community, volunteering at local science nights, community fairs, and new this past summer, offering a summer camp for students in grades 5 through 9 to get an early start on learning robotics.

The team receives no regular funds from the school or other sources and must raise operating funds each season to cover 100% of the cost to build the robot, travel fees, and competition fees.

Sponsors include Gene Haas Foundation, Bodenhamer Family, Waters-Wyatt Technology, Teledyne Flir, and Arthex.

Visit www.teamoctobots.org for more information.

Founded in 1989 by investor Dean Kamen, FIRST is an international nonprofit organization that prepares young people for the future through youth robotics programs that build skills, confidence and resilience.

FIRST is backed by a global network of mentors, educators, volunteers, sponsors, parents, alumni, and program delivery to partners. Learn more at https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc.