When the day school ends and learning comes to a standstill, there’s one room at Smithtown High School East that continues to buzz with hard work and dedication to their craft:  The Mechanical Bulls who are mentored by Mr. David Savage Technology Teacher SHSE, Mr. Brian Costello Technology Teacher SHSW, Brian Sheridan Pilot and mentor and Matt Quigley Engineer and mentor. 

The team prototypes, builds, programs, and tests a robot that competes against some of the most talented schools in the world. The team’s objective is to create and perfect a robot throughout their season to compete regionally, nationally, and even at the international level. The robotics team was established in 2001 and every year since, the team has aimed to develop the most advanced robot possible. The team competes every year in at least two regionals, most recently in Albany, NY at the 2025 Reefscape Tech Valley Regional Competition where they reached the semi-finals. These competitions assign a specific “game” with parameters to follow, with the goal of attaining the most points within the time given each year.

The team essentially functions as a company, with departments such as: business, drafting, fabrication, electrical, and programming. The skills learned within each department can translate to real world experience in fields such as: mechanical and electrical engineering, business and sales, as well as cybersecurity and computer science.  

The team is always looking for new members, so if you are interested, don’t hesitate to reach out to Mr. Savage!