JPL-Founded San Marino Robotics Team Competes at Free Regional Event Next Weekend

A high school robotics team founded by a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer and sponsored by the Pasadena-based institution will compete next weekend at a free, public regional championship in Rosemead.

San Marino High School’s Titanium Robotics is among up to 31 teams entered in the CA District San Gabriel Valley Event, a FIRST Robotics Competition qualifying tournament at Don Bosco Technical Institute, 1151 San Gabriel Blvd., according to the official FIRST Inspires event page. The event runs Friday through Sunday, with spectators welcome Saturday and Sunday at no charge, according to the FIRST California district website.

Teams will compete in REBUILT, the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition game in which two alliances of three robots each score foam balls into goals, cross obstacles and climb a tower structure, according to the FIRST game manual. The competition is one of four simultaneous California district events this weekend, according to the FIRST California events page.

Teams that earn top finishes will advance to the FIRST California State Championship and potentially the FIRST Championship in Houston, April 29 through May 2, according to the FIRST California district website.

Titanium Robotics, designated FRC Team 1160, has a rookie year of 2003, according to The Blue Alliance, a FIRST community database. JPL engineer Dr. Jeng Yen founded the team, and the Pasadena-based laboratory remains a listed sponsor alongside Boeing and Northrop Grumman, according to The Blue Alliance. Dr. Yen serves as Robot Operations Group Supervisor of Mobility and Robotic Systems at JPL, according to the team’s website.

The team describes the SGV event as its second competition of the 2026 season, according to a Titanium Robotics press release. The press release did not identify the first event.

In 2024, the team competed at the FIRST World Championships in Houston for the first time in 21 years, according to the team’s LinkedIn page. The team received the Team Sustainability Award at the 2024 Los Angeles Regional, according to a 2025 Pasadena Now report.

No current team members or coaches provided statements for the 2026 season. The article relies on official event information and team-provided materials.

Saturday hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday hours are 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., according to team materials. Parking is free, with entry via East Arroyo Drive or San Gabriel Boulevard, according to the FIRST California district website. Outside food is permitted on campus but not inside the competition area, where only sealed water bottles are allowed. For accessibility assistance, the contact is dberggren@firstinspires.org. More information is available at cafirst.org/frc/san-gabriel-valley.

Awards will be announced near the close of competition Sunday, according to the FIRST Inspires event page. Teams that advance will learn whether they have earned a spot at the state championship, the next step on the path to Houston.