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Local high school robotics team, Octobots Robotics, is inviting the community to a free open house event on Monday, November 9, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at their new “practice field” location at 5677 Calle Real in the Calle Real Shopping Center in Goleta (the former Carrow’s/Denny’s/Coast Supply building). The new location is being sponsored for the season by The Towbes Group.
The community-wide event offers families, prospective students, local business leaders, sponsors, and STEM enthusiasts an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at how student engineers design, build, program, and compete with 115-pound industrial-scale robots.
Attendees will have the opportunity to:
- Watch live, interactive robot demonstrations.
- Meet student leaders of each sub-team in electrical, hardware, software, strategy, media, and more.
- Enjoy family-friendly activities
“Robotics is so much more than just building a machine — it’s about teamwork, problem-solving, and inspiring the next generation of innovators right here in our hometown,” says Uma Vulliez, Team Captain and a senior at Dos Pueblos High School. “We are thrilled to open our doors and show the community what our team can do.”
Last season, the student-led robotics team, Octobots Robotics, earned a ticket to the FIRST Robotics World Championship Competition after placing second at the Southern California State Championships in Anaheim, CA. According to FIRST Robotics, only the top 16% of the more than 3,700 teams from around the world earn the right to compete at this level. Octobots finished the season among the top 9% of teams in the world.
Admission to the Open House is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided by Octobots Robotics.
What: Octobots Robotics Team Open House
When: Monday, November 9, 2026 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM
Where: 5677 Calle Real in Goleta
About Octobots Robotics Team 9084
Established by a small group of high school students and volunteer mentors in 2023 as the only FIRST FRC Robotics team for grades 9 through 12 in the Goleta and Santa Barbara area, Octobots Robotics is an all-volunteer, all-inclusive team of 30 to 40 high school students based out of Dos Pueblos High School. The program is dedicated to inspiring students to become science and technology leaders and innovators by engaging in mentor-based programs and competitions that build engineering and technology skills. The team is further committed to promoting STEM education in the community, volunteering at local science nights, community fairs, and through a summer camp for students entering grades 5 through 9. Octobots ended the 2025-2026 season in the top 9% (330 out of 3,724) of FIRST Robotics teams in the world, top 9% (274 out of 2,944) in the United States, and top 15% (42 out of 291) in the highly competitive California district. Visit www.
About FIRST Robotics
FIRST Robotics is an international robotics program that challenges students to design, build, and program industrial-sized robots while fostering leadership, creativity, and collaboration. FIRST’s mission is to inspire young people to become science and technology leaders and innovators. Visit http://www.firstinspires.org/
