OWATONNA Once modest in size, the Owatonna High School robotics team has quickly grown into a force.

And as part of an effort to assure the squad remains in capable hands for many years to come, the current members have begun appealing to Owatonnas youth with robot demonstrations, like one held Thursday at McKinley Elementary.

I went to McKinley, and sitting there for a presentation like this when I was a kid would be really inspirational to me, said Braydon Kubat, a senior member of the robotics team. I feel like it will be for them, too.

Justin Kiel, principal at McKinley, said he believes this to be a great opportunity for McKinley students.

We are always looking for partnerships in the community to extend the learning beyond our classroom walls, Kiel said. This is a unique experience for students to see robotics in action.

And robotics clubs are growing exponentially, Kubat said. There are more than 6,000 worldwide, and Minnesota already has more high school robotics teams than high school hockey teams.

A handful of robotics team members discussed what goes into making a robot, as well as the competitions the team engages in. When they let the robots loose, students screamed in excitement when the machines picked up and fired orange balls.

This is a glimpse into whats out there, what they can do, Kubat said. One reason students attend a STEM school like McKinley is so they can do stuff like this.

Students see how robotics can integrate all content areas, Kiel said. Also, our students can see how thinking, questioning, and technology can come together to solve a problem.

In the robotics club, known as the Rebel Alliance, you can make a robot do what you want, which is cool, Kubat told the McKinley assembly. You get to learn a whole other language, too.

Students can sign up for the squad as freshmen, said Sam Bendorf, another member of the team.

We have a spot for each and every one of you, [and] well be waiting for you, Bendorf said.

The OHS team competes across the Midwest, and theyll head to Duluth at the beginning of March to tangle with more than 60 other squads, said Kubat, who is in his first year as a member of the Rebel Alliance.

You get to travel, build stuff with your hands and have fun while doing it, said Kubat.

In fact, the hands-on nature of the club is what attracted Kubat this year. Although hes on the business side of the squad, hes learned a great deal about building robots already.

The business team contends with financing, working with businesses to secure capital for the expensive extracurricular activity, he said. Fortunately, we have lots of community support.

The requirements for the competition change each year, and this year the theme is focused on Steamworks, he said. Teams have six weeks to build robots, which receive points for completing various tasks during the competition.

The rules, though they change each year, must always be followed. Consequently, the first few weeks after seeing the next years video and learning the parameters are devoted to designing and prototyping the robot, Bendorf said.

They begin by sketching plans on a white board, then put those plots physically onto the machines, Bendorf said. Later, they wire it, and the last two weeks are devoted to final design.

Students in the robotics club are eager to give back by teaching younger children, said Val Rose, the adviser for the club.

The STEM is what we want to build on, said Rose.

Reach reporter Ryan Anderson at 507-444-2376 or follow him onTwitter.com@randerson_ryan

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OHS robotics club dazzles McKinley students - Southernminn.com