Daily Archives: March 19, 2017

Andrea Galyean, Special for The Republic | azcentral.com 7:03 a.m. MT March 18, 2017

A group of West Valley teens built a device to compete in a nationwide robotics competition, all through the persistence of one Surprise teen's passion for science. Wochit

Joseph Goyer takes measurements to make a computer model of Goddard so the team can continue to work after the robot is sealed in a bag in accordance with FIRST rules.(Photo: Andrea Galyean/Special to The Republic)

It's a sunny Saturday in Peoria, but in a workroom inside Arizona Challenger Space Center, a cluster of teenagers and adults is leaning over laptops, scribbling on whiteboardsand crawling on the floor with a what is that exactly?

There's a beefy aluminum chassis outfitted with four white wheels, a belly full of circuit boards and motors, and a clear plastic canopy that gives it the look of a 100-pound dune buggy. It's a robot. And this group, known as Launch Team, is scrambling to get it ready for the Arizona West Regional FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), which will be held April 6-8 at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.

FIRST, a non-profit founded by inventor Dean Kamen to offer science and technology competitions for students from kindergarten through 12th grade, produces the FRC, in which teams of high school students and their adult mentors have six weeks to build and program robots that complete tasks while racing against the clock and other teams. Of the 778 teams across the U.S. including 42 in the Arizona West conference, most are organized by schools.

Launch Team, however, draws its members from West Valley students whose schools don't offer a team. The members don't have the convenience of after-school work sessions, and few of them had met before their first awkward get-together in November. But Launch Team has some advantages: It has free use of the Challenger Space Center; it has a cadre of adult mentors to offer technical advice, toolsand welding assistance; and it has Stephen Robertson.

Stephen, 17, is a senior in the CREST engineering program at Paradise Valley High School, but he lives in Surprise. He is also the founder of Launch Team.

When Stephenwas in grade school, he liked his science classes, but found them "kind of low-level," so his father, Steve Robertson, an engineer at Toyota's Arizona Proving Ground, did "extra stuff" with him at home. Stuff like free-body diagrams and the periodic table.

His mother, Lori Robertson, remembers the day Stephen offered to make dinner. "He was in and out between the kitchen and the backyard and he kept getting out all this aluminum foil and I didn't know what was happening," she said. He was making a solar oven.

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"He made a pizza!" Lori said, "I mean, he used bread and ketchup and cheese, but it worked! He figured it all out by himself."

He was 8.

When he was 12, Stephen overheard his sister's ballet instructor say ticket sales for an upcoming recital would be cash only. So he set up a Square account for the dance troupe and took credit cards using an iPad. Then he revised the group's website for search engine optimization.

When he was 13, his parents asked what he wanted for Christmas: an X-box or a 3-D printer.

"I chose the printer," Stephen said. "And that was the better option."

It was better because Stephen used it to invent things, like a tool to separate electrical connectors. It's a handy gadgetand the subject of one of two patent applications he wrote before he turned 17.

As a young technophile living in the West Valley, Stephen had attended space camps and other programs at the Challenger Space Center.

So last summer, when he was looking for an internship to fulfill a school requirement, he thought of the Challenger. And he thought of an assignment for himself.

"I'll never forget his proposal," said Beverly Swayman, the Challenger's executive director. "He said, 'I really want to work here as an intern, and I'm going to get you a 3-D printer.'"

I'll never forget his proposal. He said, 'I really want to work here as an intern, and I'm going to get you a 3-D printer.'

Swayman described her "amazing" intern to her board of directors and one of them, in turn, called Jason Yocum, CEO of Gilbert-based STAX 3D, who offered to donate a printer.

When Yocum arrived with the machine, Stephen was waiting at the door.

"It was clear he couldn't wait to get his hands on it," Yocum said. "He already had plans for it, and he started printing prototypes of his designs right away."

Right away, Stephen impressed Yocum.

"He's really humble," Yocum said, "but you could immediately tell that he has a lot going on. He has the skills, the entrepreneurial mindset, the self-starting. I had to ask: 'How old are you? And will you come work with me?'"

Joseph Goyer and Stephen Robertson work on Goddard on the last "build day" allowed under the rules of the FIRST robotics competition.(Photo: Andrea Galyean/Special to the Republic)

Although Yocum remains serious about the job offer, Stephen has been busy with another lifelong passion: robots.

He was barely past kindergarten when he was captivated by a PBS program about a FIRST competition. His father bought a Lego robotics kit, which they built and programmed together, but they couldn't find any teams to join.

When Stephen was in fifth grade, however, one of his teachers organized a FIRST Lego League (FLL) team and "my old dream came true." He loved competing and working with others to solve practical problems.

But, two years later, Stephen moved on to a middle school without a robotics team. He filled in the gap by volunteering as a referee and mentor for FLL competitions, but when he enrolled at Paradise Valley High School in 2013, he was thrilled to join the school's FRC club, Team Paradise.

In his sophomore year, Stephen was elected treasurer of Team Paradise, where he put his entrepreneurial skills to use by persuading community members to donate through the school tax credit. The team posted its best financial record ever, even as Stephen continued to mentor younger students in the FLL, as well as volunteer at other organizations and play first violin in the orchestra, too.

Taking note of Stephen's efforts, Team Paradise's faculty adviser, Robert Kabrich, nominated him for a Dean's List award in 2016, which recognizes students who promote the mission of FIRST. Stephen was selected as a finalist and went to the national competition in St. Louis, where he attended the awards luncheon in June.

At the ceremony, Stephen listened carefully to the speeches. He heard representatives from Yale and MITsay that the country needs more people studying science and technology. He heard how much more likely students were to enter those fields if they had participated in things like robotics competitions. And he heard Kamen himself urge the finalists to get more kids involved.

Stephen took it all to heart.

"When I got back home, I was thinking about what they'd said," he remembered. "And I started thinking about how much FIRST had given me, and I realized I needed to give back."

He remembered how he felt without a robotics team in middle school. His younger sister, who also loved FLL, was entering the same school and was about to face the same issues.

Inspired, Stephen put together a proposal for a middle school team and took it to the principal. A teacher volunteered to help, as did two of Stephen's Paradise teammates, and he applied for grants and sponsorships to cover the cost.

"We expected maybe five kids," Lori said, "but we ended up with 28!"

So they started two teams, both of which competed in the FIRST Technology Challenge in November.

Joseph Goyer (from left), Jonathan Kerr, and Stephen Robertson inspect the undercarriage of their robot.(Photo: Andrea galyean/Special to The Republic)

Suspecting that older kids would be just as eager, Stephen decided to start a community team for West Valley high school students.

And, recalling how much he enjoyed his time at the Challenger Space Center, he "realized it was a prime spot for a robotics team."

Swayman agreed and offered facilities free of charge. "Our goal is to find, inspireand excite students," she said, "so hosting the robotics team really fits with that mission."

Stephen wrote more grant applications and found more sponsors to secure the $6,000 needed for a startup FRC team.

Then he asked his father: "Do any of your co-workers at Toyota have kids who would be interested in this?"

The answer was yes. And those co-workers' kids had friends, too.

Riley O'Rear, 14, lives in Peoria and has always been interested in computers. He's programmed the robot to respond to a wireless joystick. Joseph Goyer, 17, also of Peoria, takes engineering classes at school and has created a 3-D model of the robot in SolidWorks, a computer-aided design program. Other kids come from Glendale, Surpriseand even Prescott. All of them have helped to design, buildand test their first robot.

And all of them have been supported by Steve and Lori Robertson and other adult mentors who came through the same word-of-mouth recruitment network as the kids.

Shannon O'Rear, a computer consultant and Riley's father credits Stephen with creating an experience that wouldn't otherwise exist: "Years ago, I sought out a robotics team for Riley, but there just wasn't anything out here. There are so many kids that would love this and would thrive in it; it's great to finally have this opportunity."

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The group dubbed themselves Launch Teamafter their home at Challengerand named their robot Goddard, after the inventor of the liquid-fueled rocket.

When Goddard drives into the arena on April 6, it will tackle two out of the three challenges posed by this year's FRC: collecting and delivering gears around the court, then climbing a rope. The third option, shooting balls into a hopper, seemed a bit advanced for the rookie team, most of whose members are just glad to be participating.

"Our robot is definitely on the simpler side," Riley acknowledged. "But it's super cool now that it's all coming together. And we'll know more for next time."

With its members planning ahead for 2018, Launch Team is now developing its own momentum, which it will need because its founder will be graduating in May.

As for where he'll be next year, Stephen isn't sure. He's applied to the colleges that were recruiting at the Dean's List awards, including Yale and Stanford.

But he's leaning toward ASU, for a very Stephen-type reason:

"I can't go so far away," he explained, "I've got to stay and help the teams."

The Arizona West Regional FIRST Robotics Competition will be held April 6-8 at Grand Canyon University Arena, 3300 W. Camelback Road in Phoenix. Attendance is free for spectators. For details, visit: firstinspires.org.For more information about Arizona Challenger Space Center, visit: azchallenger.org.

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Surprise teen gives back with robotics team - AZCentral.com

A team of black and Latinx fourth graders became the target of racism during a robotics competition in Indiana, but they didnt let that stop them from going to the world championships.

Last month, the Panther Bots,a five-student team from Indianapolis Pleasant Run Elementary School, had finished participating in a robotics challenge at Plainfield High School when their competitors saw them in the parking lot and yelled to them, Go back to Mexico! according to the Indiana Star.

They were pointing at us and saying, Oh my God, they are champions of the city all because they are Mexican. They are Mexican and they are ruining our country, Diocelina Herrera, mother of one of the Panther Bot students, told the Star.

But the students, three of whom are Latinx and two of whom are black, did their best to ignore the hurtful words and strive to do better.

I feel like what they say doesnt affect us, Elijah Goodwin, a 10-year-old Panther Bot, told local news station WTHR 13.

When you are a good team, he added, people are going to hate you for being good and I think what people say can make you greater.

Panther Bots

The studentsattitude proved successful.

After winning several awards during robotics challenges at the Indiana State Championships, the Panther Bots earned a ticket to the Vex IQ Robotics World Championshipin Louisville, Kentucky.

Well, our scrappy little robotics team did it! Lisa Hopper, coach of the Pleasant Run Elementary Schools Panther Bots team, wrote on Facebook after they earned their spot. It has been an exciting journey.

Officials at Plainfield High School told the Star that they were unaware of the racist comments made during the competition, but called the behavior disheartening and unacceptable.

Hopper thinks the students were targeted because they arent white. Their school, Hopper explained in a teamsponsorship presentation, is a low income Title I school.

For the most part, the robotics world is kind of a white world, Hopper told the Star. Theyre just not used to seeing a team like our kids. And they see us and they think were not going to be competition. Then were in first place the whole day and they cant take it.

And it seems that the students graceful response to the racism has helped them fund their trip to the championships.

On Saturday, aGo Fund Me Account set up for the Panther Bots surpassed its$8,000 goal to help pay for their travel expenses and robotics parts. Their fundraising page is filled with comments from people who read their story and praised their determination.

Keep up the interest in robotics and dont let anyone tell you that you arent worthy, one donor wrote. You have earned your success!

The Panther Bots have won six awardsfor their robotic creations, according to the teams Go Fund Me page. During the Indiana State Championships, they ranked fourth in the state for teamwork, 11th in the state for skills and programming and won the Create Award for best robot design,which earned them a ticket to the World Championships.

Now, the internet is rooting for the Panther Bots next win.

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Winning Fourth Grade Robotics Team Told To 'Go Back To Mexico' - Huffington Post

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

Robotics teams square off in a qualifying match of the First Robotics Competition at St. Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco, where 41 schools competed.

Robotics teams square off in a qualifying match of the First Robotics Competition at St. Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco, where 41 schools competed.

Above: Members of the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts Cyberdragons carry their robot into the arena.

Above: Members of the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts Cyberdragons carry their robot into the arena.

Left: Seyhmus Aca (left) watches his Sultans of Turkey teammates compete in a qualifying match at the First Robotics Competition.

Left: Seyhmus Aca (left) watches his Sultans of Turkey teammates compete in a qualifying match at the First Robotics Competition.

Hundreds of students in SF for citys first robotics battle

Its very exciting, and Im really interested in robotics, said Hayel Kiymetli, a gangly 14-year-old with her long dark hair pulled into braids. Im really happy to be here.

Hayel Kiymetli traveled from her boarding school, Darussafaka in Istanbul, as one of hundreds of high school students taking part in a regional First Robotics Competition, which was held for the first time in San Francisco this weekend at St. Ignatius College Preparatory. For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology was founded in 1992 and is the worlds most prestigious organization of its kind. Winners from this weekends event, which continues Sunday, will go to the world final in Houston in April.

In San Francisco, theres a lot of technology, said St. Ignatius science teacher Don Gamble, who helped bring the event to the school. I thought this was one of the greatest ways and most fun ways to bring electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and software engineering to the kids. Last year, his schools team went to the world final after winning the Rookie of the Year award.

The competition itself goes like this: Students from three teams are put together against another alliance of three teams, each team with a robot they have designed and built. The teams were told how the game would work in January, when they had six weeks to engineer the robots accordingly.

This has been designed and built from scratch in six weeks, said sophomore Emma Blenkinsop, showing off the robot for Lowell High School in San Francisco, where she is the elected vice president of PR and student-led fundraising for a 60-member team.

The theme this year is SteamWorks standing for science, technology, engineering, arts and math. Human drivers remotely controlled their robots to zoom around the field to gain points by collecting yellow Wiffle balls (representing fuel) that they shot into a target (the steam boiler), as well as gears that they delivered to towers (the airship), where human pilots put them in place.

Each match is 2 minutes long, so things moved quickly, with robots ramming each other like bumper cars while grabbing balls. During the last 30 seconds, the pilots lower ropes to pull the robots up onto the aircraft for an extra 50 points.

While the students mostly wore team T-shirts, some also donned steampunk glasses and top hats. Referees, mostly volunteers from Google and other tech companies, donned standard black-and-white ref shirts and shorts.

We want to do for technology what the Olympic committee did for sports, said First founder and CEO Dean Kamen, an inventor also responsible for the Segway scooter. But unlike the Olympics, Kamen said, Every kid on every team can turn pro. There are millions of jobs for kids that can code.

In the pit, where teams plot strategies and tune their robots between matches, Natalie Lunbeck, 17, of Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco represented the brand-new Misfits, an all-girls team with students from several schools.

Everyone is welcome, said the junior, who wants to learn programming. In a lot of robotics teams, you have to work your way up. In your first year you dont get to do anything not the case in the Misfits.

Members of team 254 from Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, which was backed by the NASA Ames Research Center, had the hushed concentration of a Formula One pit crew. Wearing matching blue jerseys, they were fine-tuning an LED light that they used with a smartphone camera to determine the best angle and speed to shoot balls from their robot to the target.

Captain Joel Bartlett, 17, said the team built two robots initially so they could continue to play with the design after their six-week initial build period was over. Teams like his and Lowells meet most weekends and evenings during competition season to work on their robots, with a minimum time requirement that most students far surpass.

Its fantastic, said Muge Tuvay, science teacher and mentor for Kiymetlis team, the Sultans of Turkey, who has seen her students understand that they need to work together and help each other to perform well. They learn so much more than just robots.

Tara Duggan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan

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Hundreds of students in SF for city's first robotics battle - SFGate - SFGate

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Is robotics a solution to the growing needs of the elderly? - BBC News