Category Archives: Robotics

Patch.com

2 Missing Teens From African Robotics Team Found Safe: Police Patch.com WASHINGTON, DC Two of the six missing Burundian teens who disappeared from an international robotics competition in DC have been found safe, police said. Don Ingabire, 16, and Audrey Mwamikazi, 17, were located safely, police announced Tuesday ... and more »

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2 Missing Teens From African Robotics Team Found Safe: Police - Patch.com

Joe Sestak, a former Pennsylvania congressman and retired Navy admiral who is president of First Global, the nonprofit group that organized the competition, made the initial call to the police shortly after midnight, officials said. The authorities began sharing photographs and descriptions of the teenagers on missing persons fliers on Wednesday.

The police searched Constitution Hall, interviewed other competitors in the dorms and unsuccessfully tried to reach one of the missing students uncles, according to police reports.

The teenagers all have one-year visas, officials say.

The Burundi Embassy in Washington said in an email that officials there had not known there was a team from their country in the United States until after the teenagers were reported missing.

In June, the State Department issued a travel warning for Americans going to Burundi, located between Rwanda and Tanzania, citing political tensions, political and criminal violence, and the potential for civil unrest. The warning took note of a tenuous political situation and reported ambushes and kidnappings.

More than 325,000 Burundians have fled the country since 2015, mostly to Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Human Rights Watch.

The First Global competition made international headlines after the all-girl team from Afghanistan struggled to get visas to attend the event, advertised as an international robotics Olympics. Students from more than 150 countries participated in the competition, organizers said. It is scheduled to take place in Mexico City next year.

First Global is always concerned about the safety of our students, said Jose P. Escotto, the organizations communications director. The group said it had advised students not to leave the dorms or Constitution Hall without a mentor.

Students and their mentors stayed in dorms at George Washington University and Trinity Washington University. The Burundi team stayed at Trinity Washington University in Cuvilly Hall, a university spokeswoman, Ann Pauley, confirmed in an email; the hall is locked at all times. First Global provided bus transportation between the dorm and Constitution Hall.

Members of the Norwegian team, waiting to leave for the airport Thursday morning outside Thurston Hall at George Washington University, had heard about the disappearance from another team but thought it was a misunderstanding.

They havent been found? asked Havard Krogstie, 17, from Trondheim. I thought it was just they had gone somewhere without telling anyone. I dont see why they would just run off in a foreign country.

Right now, he added, with a shake of his head, I realize that theyre actually missing.

A version of this article appears in print on July 21, 2017, on Page A12 of the New York edition with the headline: 6 African Teenagers Disappear After Robotics Contest.

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Burundi Robotics Team Vanishes After US Competition - New York Times

The Afghan robotics team won a silver medal for 'courageous achievement' at the FIRST Global Challenge in Washington.

The Afghan robotics team won a silver medal in the "courageous achievement" category at the FIRST Global robotics competition in Washington DC.

The competition is considered to be the "Olympic's" of robotics contests and was represented by over 160 countries.

The Associated Press reported theteam that drew the most attention at the FIRST Global Challenge, which ended Tuesday, was a squad of girls from Afghanistan who were twice rejected for U.S visas before President Donald Trump intervened.

The Afghanistan team won a silver medal for "courageous achievement." The award recognized teams that exhibited a "can-do" attitude even under difficult circumstances or when things didn't go as planned. The gold medal in that category went to the South Sudan team and bronze to the Oman team, whose students are deaf, reported AP.

Rodaba Noori, Afghan robotics team member said: We were proud (of) ourselves and we tried a lot to get a position and we tried to win the game."

"I feel so confident about the last round of the competition. I'm very, very excited and also, I'm very hopeful. I believe we did well and I'm just waiting for the result, Kawsar Roshan, Afghan robotics team member said.

Teams left with gold, silver and bronze medals in a variety of categories, AP reported.

The Europe team won a gold award for picking up the highest cumulative points over the course of the competition. Poland got silver and Armenia bronze.

Finland won a gold award for earning the best win-loss record. Silver went to Singapore and bronze to India.

The 2018 competition will be held in Mexico City.

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Afghan Robotics Team Wins Silver Medal For 'Courage' - TOLOnews

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two members of a teenage robotics team from Burundi who went missing after a competition in Washington last week have been located and are safe, the city's Metropolitan Police Department said on Tuesday.

The teens, Don Ingabire, 16, and Audrey Mwamikazi, 17, were spotted last week crossing the border into Canada. The Metropolitan Police Department would not say on Tuesday where or when they were found, citing department procedures for missing persons.

"The others are still missing, so the case is still under investigation," police spokeswoman Karimah Bilal said.

Four boys and two girls from the African nation were last seen on July 18 after the FIRST Global Robotics Challenge concluded. Organizers have said the disappearance may have been "self-initiated" because the students' hotel keys were left in a chaperone's bag while their clothes were taken.

Police have said they did not suspect foul play.

The Burundian embassies in Ottawa and Washington said they were unaware on Tuesday that two of the students had been found.

The other missing Burundians have been identified as Nice Munezero, 17; Kevin Sabumukiza, 17; Richard Irakoze, 18; and Aristide Irambona, 18.

High school students from more than 150 countries took part in the FIRST Global competition. An all-girl squad from Afghanistan drew worldwide attention when President Donald Trump intervened after they were denied U.S. visas.

Burundi has long been plagued by civil war and other violence. Fighting has killed at least 700 people and forced 400,000 from their homes since April 2015.

Additional reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Leslie Adler

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Two members of missing Burundi robotics team found, US police say - Reuters

Today, the Girl Scouts of the USA introduced 23 new badges in the areas of science, technology, engineering, math, and the outdoors. This is the largest rollout of new badges for the organization in over a decade, aiming to focus on encouraging interest in STEM and environmental conservation from an early age.

The new merit badges include Programming Robots, which requires Scouts to create simple programs that could be run by a robot and understand how machines use sensors, and Race Car Design Challenge, where Scouts have to design cars, tracks, and learn how to carry out fair tests. The organization created select badges with contributions from tech-related groups like Code.org, SciStarter, and GoldieBlox, and they join existing STEM badges like Website Designer and Cybersecurity.

The new merit badges include Programming Robots and Race Car Design Challenge

According to the organizations announcement, Girl Scouts are almost twice as likely as nonGirl Scouts to participate in STEM (60 percent versus 35 percent) and outdoor activities (76 percent versus 43 percent). They also note that Girl Scouts are more likely to seek careers in STEM, law, and business fields where women are traditionally underrepresented.

While these badge additions are a definite yay! moment, its worth noting theres still severe discrepancies between available badges for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. For example, the Girl Scouts have two meal-related badges Dinner Party (how to be the hostess with the mostest) and Simple Meals (serve a meal for family and friends), while the Boy Scouts cooking badge has a list of requirements, and has a list of requirements, including trail meals and food-related careers.

The new badges are indicative of where the Girl Scouts are going, though, and its frankly super cool to see them stepping up to give us our next generation of robot-programming, race car-building women.

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Girl Scouts add new STEM badges in robotics, coding, and race car design - The Verge

Posted by Decaturish.com July 25, 2017

Henry Manso waits in his car for the start of the 6th annual Madison Ave. Soapbox Derby in Oakhurst. Photo: Jonathan Phillips

By Ellie Ritter, contributor

The Madison Avenue Community Fund (MACF), the team behind the annual Madison Ave. Soapbox Derby, has announced proceeds from this years event will go toDecatur Robotics.

The robotics group is one of many organizations to which the Derby has donated. Every year, all the proceeds from the Derby benefit a local organization.

According to their Facebook page, Decatur Robotics is a STEAM organization (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) based in Decatur devoted to inspiring youth to be science and technology leaders and innovators. Made up of over 100 students in the Decatur area, Decatur Robotics participates in numerous programs and competitions that deal with both robotics and fundamental life skills, like teamwork and self-confidence.

Additionally, Decatur Robotics seeks to make their program accessible to students of all incomes, allowing anyone to join the experience. Scholarships are available to students who would otherwise be unable to participate. Decatur Robotics students say its the hardest fun youll ever have.

This years Soapbox Derby will take place on October 7 at you guessed it Madison Avenue in Oakhurst.

The MACF relies on neighborhood volunteers to help organize the event and pull everything together on race day. Still, they depend on the financial support of local businesses, so the MACF is looking for sponsors. To sponsor or donate, visit the Soapbox Derby website.

If you would like to learn more about the Derby and how you can help, you can also reach out to madisonavesoapboxderby@gmail.com.

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Madison Ave. Soapbox Derby will give proceeds to Decatur Robotics - Decaturish.com

The Corning Incorporated Foundation has awarded agrant of $15,000 to Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES, according to a media release.

The money is to go toward an expected Fall 2018 launch of a Mechatronics/Robotics program.The program is designed to prepare students for entry-level manufacturing jobs and to go on to college for advanced training.

Robotics deals with the design, construction, operation, and application of robots. Mechatronics is a technology that combines electronics and mechanical engineering. Mechatronics/Robotics at ONC BOCES will be an interdisciplinary program focused on mechanics, electronics, motor control systems, and automation, which drive the design, operation and maintenance of all modern complex machinery, the release said.

Several area manufacturing firms and food-production facilities rely on mechatronics, but sometimes struggle to fill positions, according to the release. The new program is intended to help plug the middle skills gap, the release said.

Mechatronics/Robotics will provide students with the necessary information and skills sets to enter the emerging field of advanced manufacturing, ONC BOCES Superintendent Nicholas Savin said in the release. SUNY Delhi has recognized the employment need for this emerging field and has developed 2- and 4-year programs to prepare students for this work. Problem solving, mechanical and electrical design, automation and computer systems/logic represent areas of study. Broome Community College has also recognized the need in this emerging field and has begun to develop a degree program as well to help meet the skilled employment needs for this industry.

The Mechatronics/Robotics program offered at the high school level at ONC BOCES will allow for students to achieve a level of experience that will enable them to enter the workforce after graduation or position them to excel in a related course of study at a higher educational institution, the release said.

The grant was written by the Capital Region BOCES Grants Service.

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ONC BOCES receives grant for robotics program - Oneonta Daily Star

WASHINGTON As six robots battled it out on the floor of the DAR Constitution Halls auditorium during the FIRST Global Challenge competition Tuesday afternoon, a cheer rose above the din of voices echoing across the stands.

Team Hope! Team Hope! Team Hope!

The cheering came from a corner of the stadium where a group of boys from Team Lebanon wearing rainbow clown wigs stood next to Team Palestine. They, and teams from Libya and Jordan, were lending their voices to support a group of Syrian refugees, known as Team Hope. It was one of many times when teens would spontaneously break out into cheers for competitors.

When they werent cheering, hundreds of teens from 157 countries mingled, chatted and leaned in for selfies in the sweltering corridors of the concert hall at the first international Global Challenge competition. In between making final adjustments on their robots, a bonding experience that has become central to this competition, they signed each others T-shirts and exchanged pins. If they did not speak the same language, they all understood the thrill, the frustration and the anxiety that comes with competition.

Salwan Georges, The Washington Post

These are precisely the kinds of friendships FIRST Global founder Dean Kamen, an inventor, hoped to build ones that crossed languages, cultures and geopolitical frontiers. His lofty vision is one in which graduates of this program put aside politics to solve the worlds most pressing challenges, like shortages of clean water and the myriad problems wrought by global climate change. In this years competition, teams built robots to sort contaminated water from clean water actually orange and blue plastic balls to get them thinking about the real-life challenge that many face getting enough clean water.

If we can get kids from around the world to deal with the same issues . . . we could compete on the same team, Kamen said on Sunday evening, in remarks at the opening ceremony. You dont have to have self-inflicted wounds created by arbitrary differences and politics.

This cauldron of competition with countries sending some of their brightest and best aspiring engineers forged plenty of unusual friendships. Team Armenia and Team Turkey, who come from countries whose relations are strained were allied in one match. The Armenian team also helped Lesotho make modifications to their robot.

You have to put politics aside, said Lilit Tarumyan, a 16-year-old team member. Her teammate. Maria Ter-Minasyan, chimed in: They were some cool guys!

The contest is called a coopera-tition, with points given to teams for working together to form alliances.

Salwan Georges, The Washington Post

Under their countrys flag, three young Iranian men tinkered with their robot on Tuesday afternoon, in preparation for the final, nerve-racking matches of the FIRST Global Robotics competition. Just feet away, Team Israel was busily making adjustments to theirs. The two countries have hostile relations. But in this corner of the DAR Constitution Hall, separated by no more than 30 feet, the teens from both countries forged an unlikely bond.

They chatted about robots and politics, and then the two teams huddled together for a group photo with founder Kamen. And then the teens wished each other good luck.

Please, see us today, we Israelis and Iranians were together and happy,said Mohammad Reza Karami, the mentor for Team Iran. You also can see, learn and be together.

The competition capped weeks of drama in which two teams one from Gambia and Afghanistans all-girls squad appeared to be in jeopardy of competing in the U.S. when their visas were initially denied. Their plight garnered international attention and sympathy. The Gambian team finally received their visas in early July, according to the Associated Press. But the Afghan girls did not get their visas until President Donald Trump intervened at the last-minute, granting them passage to the U.S.

Alieu Bah, an 18-year-old Gambian team member from Serakunda, said the team was crestfallen when their visa applications were initially denied. But they did not give up and continued to put in hours of work sometimes seven hours at a stretch on their competition robot, with plans to ship it to Gambians living in the U.S., who would compete in their place.

We worked hard. And even when we didnt get it, we worked hard, said Bah, who added that he was just excited to see Gambia represented in the international competition. But he was still thrilled when he heard the State Department had reversed its decisions. Im proud to be here.

Tuesday, First Daughter Ivanka Trump came to the hall and met with five other all-girl squads, including the teams from Jordan, Brunei, Vanuatu and the U.S. She then pulled the lever to start a friendly match between the six teams.

Kawsar Roshan, a 15-year-old member of Team Afghanistan, said Trump was welcoming, telling her through a translator: Youre most welcome. Im happy you made it to the U.S.

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At a global robotics competition, teens put aside grown-up conflicts to form alliances - The Denver Post

On Thursday, Washington police have said that six teenagers from a Burundi robotics team have been reported missing after an international competition in Washington. Wochit

In this July 17, 2017, photo, the Afghanistan team, left, walks past two of the team members from Burundi, at right in black shirts, during the FIRST Global Robotics Challenge in Washington.(Photo: Jacquelyn Martin, AP)

Six African high school students who vanished from an international robotics fair in Washington remained missing sort of Sunday as investigators tried to determine where they are and whether their own families conspired in their disappearance.

The Burundi team attended the three-dayFIRST Global Challenge that kicked off July 16. The event was supposed to be acelebration of global community and science, and it brought together competitors from more than 150 nations.

Burundi, an East African nation of 10 million people with a history of political and economic instability, was represented bya team of four boys and two girls, ages 16 to 18.The team's page on the First Global website talks about the teens' slogan, Ugushaka Nugushobora, which in their native Kirundi language loosely means 'Where there's a will, there's a way."

"We get our motivation for winning this competition through this slogan, which inspires Burundian team," according to the website.

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Ivanka Trump was among the celebrities to hang out with the competition's kids. President Trump personally had to intervene to ensure the team from Afghanistan got visas to attend. Everything went smoothly until the festivities wrapped up Tuesday night. That's when the Burundi mentor discover his team had left him their dorm room keys, packed their bags and disappeared into the hot, muggy Washington night.

"There were indications that the student's absence may have been self-initiated," First Global said in a statement. Still, the organization quickly notified local police early Wednesday, and the hunt was on.

By Thursday morning,police said two of the teens Audrey Mwamikazi, 17, and Don Charu Ingabire, 16 had been seen crossing into Canada. Police declined to say exactly where or exactly when, but added that there was no indication of foul play involving any of the disappearances.

No information was released on the fates of Richard Irakoze, 18, Kevin Sabumukiza, 17, Nice Munezero, 17 and Aristide Irambona, 18.On Sunday, police had little to add.

"There has been no further updateat this time," police said in a statement to USA TODAY. "The investigation remains open."

The team's mentor, Canesius Bindaba, told The Washington Post he sent panicked messages to the teens' families back in Burundi after the kids disappeared. He said their replies made him suspicious they suggested he relax, that everything would be OK.

FIRST Global President Joe Sestak said he was disappointed the students "chose not to return home" but added that he understood the challenges there.Bindaba agreedbut said his tiny country suffers from brain drain" as the best and brightest flee for better opportunities.

For me, they were some kind of hope for the future of this project in Burundi, Bindaba said. Its an opportunity for my entire country.

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Mystery deepens after African teens vanish from US robotics fair - USA TODAY

Wall Street Journal (subscription)

Next Leap for Robots: Picking Out and Boxing Your Online Order Wall Street Journal (subscription) HBC -1.08% and Chinese online-retail giant JD.com Inc., JD 0.37% have recently begun testing robotic pickers in their distribution centers. Some robotics companies say their machines can move gadgets, toys and consumer products 50% faster than human ... and more »

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Next Leap for Robots: Picking Out and Boxing Your Online Order - Wall Street Journal (subscription)