History

Gold Rush Robotics has a rich history of excellence and achievement at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Founded over a decade ago in 2009 as Charlotte Area Robotics, AKA CAR, our organization has been a driving force in the promotion of STEM education and the development of innovative robotics projects. 

Our commitment to excellence is reflected in our numerous awards and accolades, including our two wins at the prestigious IEEE SoutheastCon Hardware Competition. In 2011, we were honored to win this competition, which showcases the best in robotics innovation from universities across the Southeast. 

And in 2022, we again emerged victorious, with a robot designed to clean up a street after a Mardi Gras parade. These awards are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our members, and we are proud to continue our tradition of excellence in robotics education and innovation.

For this event, our team designed a robot capable of retrieving beads from "trees" and storing them in cups or nets, while navigating the course and pushing a marshmallow into an alleyway to earn points. Our team worked collaboratively to meet these complex challenges, showcasing our technical skills and creativity. Despite the difficulties of the competition, we were able to deliver a functioning robot that we are proud of. We believe this project was an excellent opportunity for our members to develop their skills and learn from one another.

In 2024, we won the esteemed Promotional Design award at IEEE SoutheastCon. In doing so, we displayed out abilities to create a human-centered design that emphasized our robotics experience. We transplanted our design skills from Onshape into graphic design, creating an award winning composition.