Monthly Archives: February 2017

Parsons High School began its robotics program in 2003 and now Parsons Middle School has a new Robotics Club to offer younger students a similar opportunity.

Middle school industrial arts teacher Kenneth Rhuems has stepped up to the challenge of helping the students enter into the realm of building robots for competition.

Im learning, because this is new for me, he said. I enjoy it quite a bit and they are every serious. They are pretty focused on what they are doing.

Discussions had taken place the last few years on the possibility of beginning some type of robotics program at the middle school level, so as students enter high school, they have determined their level of interest and have been given some basic understanding of robotics should they want to participate in high school.

When Rhuems began teaching the program this year, he expressed his willingness to PHS robotics teacher Bruce Rea to work with the younger students, but wasnt sure if it would be feasible to obtain the needed equipment.

Come to find out, there were some kits that the school actually had. I had no clue. I found out last semester we could probably do that and then I found we had couple of kits. One of the students got some of his things done ahead of time, so he started building one and got the enthusiasm going, Rhuems said. And then we found we had some more kits at another building.

Then I wrote a grant and got two kits the Parsons Education Foundation bought for us, that were actually going to use in the contest. Weve got three that are different than what we are doing here today. They are the next level. Those will be our contest robots, he said.

Second semester, beginning in January during Friday Fun Time, students had the chance to join the Robotics Club if interested. About 10 students signed up.

Pairs of students were working at separate stations building their first level robots.

I think its really cool because hes my friend and we get to workas a team together, sixth grade student Brayden Myers said.

I think its cool because theres not a lot of things we can do in our grade andthis is one of the things we can do, Marion Ryan said. Like you cant do sports for the school or anything in our grade, but you can do robotics.

And in sixth grade you cant do any wood workingin here and today they did like race cars, I think, Brayden said. But we get to do this.

It will probably be another couple of weeks before they get to start work on their robots for the competition. With spring break and Easter recess the students are going to be down to the wire.

I may have to have them come back to school for a few nights to work on them, Rhuems said. They have the same screws, bolts, nuts, so as they become familiar with them at this level it will be easier, and theyll know the motors and other components and what they do, so it will go faster.

The students act as though they wouldnt mind putting in the additional time one bit.

Its fun. Its fun building them, Andy Winslow-Kephart said. My favorite part is the team work because you are helping and working together.

You learn all about teamwork, Ryan added.

The evening of April 5 parents will be invited to come watch a preview of the robots in action.

Well have like a little contest within our own class, Rhuems said.

April 24 the students will be headed to their first competition at Emporia State University, what they all said they are looking forward to the most.

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Middle-schoolers start robotics club - Parsons Sun

Stars and Stripes

Soldier-turned-robotics-CEO has a special understanding of his product's need Stars and Stripes "These are small and narrow places, a very dangerous environment," the businessman said. Those missions prepared Abuhazira, 36, for his work as the chief executive of a Gaithersburg, Maryland, company called Roboteam. It sells high-tech robots capable ... and more »

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Soldier-turned-robotics-CEO has a special understanding of his product's need - Stars and Stripes

WPI News

The Robotics War on Cancer WPI News Some people design robots that can assemble circuit boards or vacuum your floor. Gregory Fischer, PhD (above), professor of mechanical engineering and robotics engineering and director of WPI's Automation and Interventional Medicine (AIM) Laboratory ...

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The Robotics War on Cancer - WPI News

Jasmine Chrisp is a member of Mount Parans Robotic team 7373 that just won the Think Award. Jasmine and her team will be moving on to Semi-Regionals in March.

Jasmine is comfortable hanging with the boys. She is the only high school girl in Robotics and Engineering, but she is busting open doors for the young women who are following in her footsteps. It is one of her passions to spread the word about STEAM and FIRST among young female students. She wishes to inspire, and encourage other girls to explore the opportunities that Robotics and Engineering can open up to females. She has participated in Women in Technology events, and Girls First. She has volunteered her time to mentor fifth- grade girls in a Girls Using Engineering and Science Skills club.

Jasmine is also a girl scout. Her Gold Award proposal of creating a free curriculum to inspire and encourage girls to learn STEAM skills, investigate STEAM careers, and participate in STEAM projects and competitions was approved. The Gold Award is the highest achievement within the Girl Scouts, earned by Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts. Only 5.4 percent of eligible Girl Scouts successfully earn the Gold Award. The Mount Paran Christian Robotics team will be helping Jasmine to fulfill her project.

There is a great deal of evidence of Jasmine reaching out to help show students the importance of a STEAM program. She mentored a kindergartner during an Hour of Code event and made the lead page of Cobb in Focus magazines article on the use of 3-D printers in Cobb County schools.

Jasmine shows initiative and dependability. She is in her third year on the team and her teammates have chosen her to be the Business Manager. Jasmine has created a business plan for the team which includes an introduction to the team, an explanation of the team endeavor, budget histories and projections for the upcoming season, and an invitation to join the team in its quest. Jasmine manages a $28,000 budget and every penny is accounted for.

Jasmines list of accomplishments is impressive. She has a 4.42 GPA. She has an ACT composite of 29. She has taken Honors and AP classes, and won awards for Engineering and Math.

Jasmine passed the three hour Certified SolidWorks Associate exam. Passing this exam in 3D CAD Solid Modeling Software provides her with an industry-level certification.

Last summer, Jasmine completed a six-week intensive internship through the Technology Association of Georgia as an Input Sensor Circuit Card Lead with the Georgia Tech Research Institutes Rapid Prototype Program in the Engineering Design Process. Jasmine and 15 other high school students were trained in a mentor-based program designed to inspire and inform student career choices in STEAM as well as encourage, equip and reinforce skills in innovation, problem solving, leadership, decision-making and teamwork. By completing this program, Jasmine received GTRI certified training in a variety of areas. She was also a finalist for Tell Your Story, a video production, and was named a finalist for the Horizon Pinnacle Award.

Because of all of Jasmines accomplishments, she has been nominated for Mount Paran Christian Schools Executive Internship Program. Jasmine has been selected to work with Dr. Robert Funk at Georgia Tech Research Institute of Technologys Aerospace, Transportation and Advanced Systems Laboratory, completing a year-long internship in aerospace acoustics during her senior year.

When I asked Jasmine what had attracted her to robotics, she said that it is something that has always fascinated her. She wanted to start in middle school, but at the time that was not an option and she was told that she would have to wait. I also asked her what skills she has learned from Robotics, and she said, Robotics has improved my public speaking skills, and my ability to make technical presentations.

I asked her if she minded being the only girl, and she replied that it just felt normal. Jasmine Chrisp is anything but normal and this will not be the last time that we hear about her excellence.

Jennifer Bonn is a freelance writer and Kennesaw resident who teaches at Mount Paran Christian School. She has been published in several magazines, and has published a book titled Stay Away from the Girls Bathroom, A Teachers Guide. It is available from Deeds Publishing at http://www.deedspublishing.com.

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Mount Paran Christian student is a trailblazer in Robotics, STEAM - MDJOnline.com

SOUTHINGTON Southington High Schools CyberKnights robotics team has completed its robots for this years steampunk-themed competition. According to designers, the machine will support a strategy that emphasizes offense.

Steampunk refers to a science fiction genre in which stories have a historical setting and the weapons used are usually steam-powered.

First Robotics teams in schools worldwide will be competing with robots designed to scoop and launch balls into the fuel tank of an airship, place gears on a tray to spin the ships rotors, then climb aboard. During some parts of the competition, the robots will be unmanned operating on programmed commands. During others, the students will control them.

Three robots from each alliance of school teams will be on the field at a time and robots can try to push others around and stop them from scoring points.

Southington High Schools first scheduled matches are set for March 4 and 5 at the Waterbury District event and April 1 and 2 in the Hartford District competition.

Jake Hayes, a junior at Southington High School, is the design lead for the CyberKnights. He explained that the team had a limited time to construct its robot. With it completed, team members built several prototype robots to test and work out bugs. Before the first competition, the team will be able to adjust its machines based on these tests.

A lot of teams play really defensively and our goal is to have a machine that is impossible to defend against, he said. We will have a rotating turret that can shoot balls with 430 degrees of motion. It locks onto reflective tape on the target tower to line up its shots.

Hayes said this will be his third year on the team. The team has been active for 20 years and last year competed in the championships in St. Louis.

We did really well last year. We knew immediately what we wanted to do and how to do it, he said. It was awesome to see how great it turned out and gave us a sense that our hard work paid off. This year, the design had a lot more size constraints; the robots will be a lot smaller this year than last year. It was a pretty rigorous build but I think well do well.

Chris Bonomi, also a junior at SHS, is the lead programmer for the team.

This year the robots will need to be more accurate on turns versus the straight-line movements last year, he said. We need to calculate the velocity of our turns and it can be difficult to get them perfect but I feel we will get it done good.

Bonomi said that being a part of the CyberKnights program has been beneficial to him socially and academically.

I started programming in eighth grade and the advanced knowledge I received through this program has got me at an almost college-ready level, he said. It also helped me to open up and be more social. I used to be very shy.

Natiya Washer, who captains the CyberKnights team along with fellow senior Nick Rappi, said she is also on the electrical team.

I am really excited for this year, she said. There are so many ways to score points. Having a fifth drive-team member who is sitting on the field inside the airship will be very different.

Washer also described how much the robotics team has benefited her.

Being a part of this team has helped me tremendously with my people skills, she said. It is like running a business; you have to have good communication or nothing gets done. I also learned time management on top of the physical skills.

Sandra Brino, the team mentor, said that, due to the success of the CyberKnights, other teams have contacted them for advice. On Friday, they spoke to a team from Turkey and on Saturday they will be advising a team from India that is just starting the robotics program.

It is very flattering, said Washer. It is the first time Ive encountered another team asking for help. We fully support the expansion of the robotics program. We are very excited.

Brian M. Johnson can be reached at 860-973-1806 or bjohnson@bristolpress.com.

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CyberKnights ready for action in district robotics events - The Bristol ... - Bristol Press