Category Archives: Robotics

FAIRFIELD Fundraisers begin Monday for Fairfield-Suisun School District students to participate in robotics competitions in Houston and Kentucky.

The first fundraiser will take place Mondayat Marys Pizza Shack in Fairfield, with events to follow April 14 at Panda Express and May 3 at Chipotle.

Details about the fundraisers are available at http://www.facebook.com/grizzlybots.AHS.ArmiBots/.

School district trustees meeting Thursday reviewed a waiver of state law to allow the district to help pay for a $20,767 trip by eight students at Grange Middle School and Armijo High School to compete in the VEX Robotics World Championship scheduledApril 19-22 in Kentucky.

A second competition will take placein Houston and participation is estimated to cost about $10,000, said Dianne Halsey, an Armijo High School teacher who is adviser to the robotics team.

Competition this past weekend at a regional event garnered a Rookie All-Star Award for the Armijo students and qualified them for the competition next month in Houston, Halsey said.

The waiver of state law will return to the school board for potential action.

Solano County Supervisor Monica Brown, who retired as a Green Valley Middle School teacher, presented a $500 check from her personal funds to assist students.She urged support for the fundraising and said at Thursdays school board meeting that education will always be near and dear to my heart.

California Education Code does not allow school districts to pay expenses of studentsparticipating in field trip to other states, a staff report said.The Kentucky robotics competition with more than 16,000 participants is the worlds largest such event, according to the report.

The trip is both educationally and culturally enlightening for the predominantly low-income students, according to the report.

For more information about the robotics competition, send an email to[emailprotected].

Reach Ryan McCarthy at 427-6935 or [emailprotected].

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Robotics students get $500 contribution toward trips - Fairfield Daily Republic

Mitchill Reasoner (right) and Jaylin Tyler prepare to get to work on their VEX Robot during the afternoon at Ridgedale High School. (Photo: Matthew Hatcher/ The Marion Star)Buy Photo

(EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the second in a series ofstories The Marion Star is producing to highlight Marion County robotics teams participating in the VEX Worlds 2017 competition in Louisville, Kentucky.)

MORRAL - Jaylin Tyler and Mitchill Reasoner have one goal in mind as they prepare for a second consecutive trip to the VEX Worlds robotics competition.

"We want to win this year," said Tyler. He and fellow Ridgedale High School junior classmate Reasoner will head to the international robotics showdown April 19-22 in Louisville, Ky.

"We want to go to the tournament in our division this year and try to win that and go to the round robin, but it's going to be hard," said Reasoner.

Tyler and Reasoner have already enjoyed much success in2017. They capturedthe VEX Robotics robot skills state championship and finished runner-up in the state tournament competition.They also won the robot skills title in 2016.

Heading into the VEX Worlds later this month, the duo is ranked 130th in the world in robot skills. Last year, they finished the season ranked 30th out of more than 10,000 teams from 32 countries.

Tyler and Reasoner have won five tournament championships this year.

Dave Sieg, engineering technology and robotics instructor, said the Tyler-Reasoner tandem is the fourth team to represent Ridgedale at the VEX Worlds. They've become leaders in the school's robotics program, which numbers 40 students from eighth through 12th grade.

"Other kids look to them for guidance and a lot of great ideas," Sieg said. "There's no secret to it;they work hard. They want to come in on Sunday. They work Saturdays. They work together very well and complement each other. It's one plus one equals four. Synthetic energy. Group dynamic."

Success in robotics came early for Reasoner and Tyler. They won the coveted Honda Innovation Award as freshmen, besting more than 1,100 other competitorsat the National Robotics Challenge in Marion.

"Throughout the competition, judges kept coming up to us saying, 'You guys have this amazing robot,'" Tyler said. "They kept flattering us about it. ... Everybody around me had high hopes, but I didn't think we would win it. Then they called my name. It was like, just freeze. Then there were cheers. It was just crazy."

Ironically, Reasoner wasn't in attendance for the duo's moment of robotics crowningglory.

Mitchill Reasoner (right) and Jaylin Tyler make adjustments to their VEX Robot on Tuesday afternoon.(Photo: Matthew Hatcher/ The Marion Star)

"I was at a baseball game," said Reasoner, who was pitching for the Rockets that day. "I got a message from Sieg and thought, 'Wow. This just happened.' It was crazy. I told my mom and dad and they congratulated me and the baseball team congratulated me because they knew it was a big deal."

Tyler and Reasoner both said they enjoy the rush of tournament action.

"We go into complete competitive mode. It's a thrill," said Tyler.

Tyler is accruing college credit through the RAMTEC program at Tri-Rivers Career Center.

"I'm really close to a two-year degree right now," he said. "Through that, I plan on either accepting a job right out of high school or going for further education at a major engineering school like Cal Tech."

Mitchill Reasoner (left) and Jaylin Tyler spend their afternoon in the Ridgedale Shop classroom perfecting their vex robot for the upcoming World Vex Robotics Competition that will be held in Louisville, Kentucky.(Photo: Matthew Hatcher/ The Marion Star)

Tylerhas earned FANUC certification for tool handling and operations and OSHA 10 Hour Training that is part of the OSHA Outreach Training Program.

Reasoner wants to major in mechanical engineering, but hasn't decided on which college to attend. He said it depends on whether he is offered a scholarship to continue his golf career at the NCAA Division I level after high school.

"If I don't get a golf scholarship, I'm thinking about Clemson, Cincinnati, or Purdue," he said. "Those are my top choices."

Reasonerearned the distinction ofEagle Scout in 2015. He is a member of Troop 6046 Harding Area District of the Boy Scouts of America Heart of Ohio Council.

Andrew Carter is the Life In Marionreporter forThe Marion Star. Contact him at eacarter@gannett.com or 740-375-5154. Follow him on Twitter @AndrewCarterMS or Facebook @LifeInMarionOhio.

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Ridgedale duo vexing robotics foes - Marion Star

(Image: Fetch Robotics)

"Fetch is actually a software company that just happens to build robots," says Fetch Robotics CEO Melonee Wise. We spoke with Wise to learn more about two new robots that Fetch has added to its line of Freight robots.

Just like the first Freight, the new Freight500 and Freight1500 are autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that use mapping algorithms to navigate without the help of humans or infrastructure changes. They carry heavy loads in manufacturing and warehouse environments. Fetch's robots have a low profile -- just 14 inches tall -- but while the original version could only carry 220-pound loads, the new robots can support as much as 3,300 pounds.

Wise started her robotics career at robotics incubator Willow Garage, where she was a core developer for ROS (Robot Operating System), the software behind nearly all modern robots. Now, she focuses on commercializing robotics. "I think that one of the things that we as roboticists do poorly is bring our ideas out of the lab and into reality," she says, "So I'm really focused on making a product that people will use in the real world."

(Image: Fetch Robotics)

Fetch's original Freight AMR is still a nice solution for moving smaller items around, but now the company is expanding its line based on feedback from the real world. "What we heard from customers is that they really want to move things that are different sizes: pieces, cases, and pallets," Wise says.

Some facilities don't have room for large pallet-moving robots, but they still need help moving heavy loads. In this case, the Freight500, which can move 1,100-pound payloads, is the right fit. Other larger manufacturing plants want a whole fleet of different-sized robots to handle various tasks.

"We try to strike a balance between the extra payload capacity and the size of the robot because these robots are rather large," Wise explains.

The robots help transport items from one part of the facility to the other so that workers can save their time and energy for other tasks. Freight has also been used along with Trax computer vision for inventory tracking in retail stores.

"We're working with one Fortune 500 company that already has Freights deployed, and they're gearing up to do a pilot with us for the two new robots," Wise says. She adds, "They want to be able to have robots in all levels of their warehouses and retail stores so that they can improve delivery times from order to box."

There are other robotics companies making AMRs that can move heavy items around, most notably Clearpath Robotics, which raised $30 million in October for its Otto line of self-driving vehicles for materials transport. But Wise says that Fetch's software gives her company's robots a competitive advantage.

All of the Freight robots are integrated with Fetchcore, a cloud-based software for managing fleets of robots. Operators use the software to create and schedule workflows by adding stations, preferred routes, speed maps, and keep-out zones. This helps customers put their new robots to work in just a few days.

"We basically show up with the robots, attach them to the internet, and then we're up and running," Wise says.

VIDEO: Trump may bring jobs back to the US, but robots will get them

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Fetch Robotics unveils small but mighty autonomous mobile robot - ZDNet

Robots may lack feelings, but they are being used to create bonds between local and University students.

The Society of Peer Mentors is a student organization dedicated to promoting leadership in the College of Engineering by allowing University students to be mentors and participate in outreach to local elementary, middle school and high school students. The robotics program is one aspect of the organization that provides outreach for local students whose schools have robotics programs.

Adrienne Steele, the Society of Peer Mentors adviser, said the college wrote a grant to the National Science Foundation to fund a retention group for engineering students. She said the student organization stemmed from the grant and was recognized in 2012.

Mechanical engineering junior and Society of Peer Mentors robotics chair April Gaydos said the mentors advise students on conflict resolution skills and serve as a resource for teachers who may not be as familiar with robotics.

We are there to close the gap because we have the engineering background to answer questions and know what will work and what wont work and help the kids come to a solution and a product, Gaydos said.

Schulze said the program mentors a total of 14 local schools. They participate in STEM nights at local schools and activities the students have put together, like Snap Circuit, a simplified circuit board students have put together to work on. The program also sponsors Louisiana Art and Science Museum Day.

The College of Engineering also has its own Supplemental Instruction program, independent of the Center for Academic Success.

The robotics program has particular areas of robotics that students learn about. The For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology program, commonly known as FIRST, has a Junior FIRST Lego League for kindergarteners and first graders and a FIRST Lego League for elementary and middle school students that focus more on programming and testing.

VEX robotics gives students all year to design, build and compete in a smaller scale challenge.

The FIRST Robotics Competition is an expensive event for students to compete in, and not every school has the funds to participate. However, the FIRST Technological Challenge is an inexpensive option for students, Gaydos said.

Karl Schulze, a mechanical engineering senior and Society of Peer Mentors Robotics co-chair, said he was introduced to robotics during his junior year of high school. He said it inspired him to pursue robotics as a career choice. He participated in the Encounter Engineering Bridge program as an incoming freshman and joined the program, eventually making his way up to a leadership position.

It was difficult at first, but learning through different leadership styles of how [students] work and what personality [they are] and how my personality would work well with them, Schulze said. And if not, how can I improve that. Definitely getting out there and experiencing that was pretty cool.

Gaydos, on the other hand, has had experience working with robotics her whole life. She said she had no intentions of getting involved with them during college, but eventually did, and assumed the chair position her second semester as a freshman.

She said she created and led a workshop to help teachers learn what resources are needed to further educate students based on what the students have expressed.

Being a part of this has given me the practice and resources to be able to talk about it and communicate it effectively, Gaydos said. It is honestly the reason I got an internship last year and still have it today. And I do owe that to being a part of this program.

She said during her involvement in the program, she has been able to inspire girls to beat the stigma associated with women in STEM disciplines.

Even though they might not go into a STEM field, this gives the resources to kind of plant a seed in that they can believe in themselves, they can do what they want, they dont have to be told what to do, Gaydos said. Its kind of like an empowerment.

The 2017 Bayou Regional FIRST Robotics Program was held at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner, Louisiana, March 23-25. A total of 60 teams were present, from Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama, as well as one team from Mexico, one from China and one from Turkey.

Schulze said all the teams learned about the game for the competition at the same time and had six weeks to design, build and test their robots before having to bag up the robots and leave them alone until competition.

Schulze said the mentors were there to help out and ensure the robots were inspected before competition.

The top eight teams moved on from qualification matches to elimination matches, and each team formed an alliance with three other teams for a double-elimination bracket.

The winners were Team 3616 Phenomena from Lafayette, Louisiana; Team 3937 Breakaway from Searcy, Arkansas; and Team 281 The Green Villians from Greenville, South Carolina. These teams will go on to compete internationally in Houston, Texas, and St. Louis, Missouri.

Gaydos said she helped with judging at the competition. She said two awards will send students to the international event after the teams present outreach with STEM and volunteering to judges. Team 1912 Team Combustion from Slidell, Louisiana won the Chairmens Award and Team 3278 Lambot from San Luis Potosi, Mexico won the Engineering Inspiration Award. These two teams will join the winning three to go to the international competition.

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Society of Peer Mentors uses robotics to mentor local students - LSU Now

SWEETWATER, Texas (KTAB)--Two of the Sweetwater Middle School Lego Robotics teams are heading to the state competition in Austin. Coach Steve Withrow says the program has become extremely popular over the years. With over 150 applicants, he accepted 32 students to the program this year. Each team is made up of 3 to 4 students. The robotics team held their first practice on Thursday in preparation for the state competition.

"They've got to troubleshoot," Withrow says. "They've got to fix the problems and figure it all out."

It takes patience, creativity and teamwork to succeed in lego robotics. That's something these Sweetwater students know all too well.

"It teaches me how to be a better leader," 7th grade student and robotics team member, Mea Cedillo says. "Also, getting used to working with other people and being more patient."

"It's like the trial and error process," 7th grade student and robotics team member, Addison Page adds. "If one part doesn't work, then you have to start all the way over to fix it."

"When we go to robotics," Withrow explains. "There's two different types. There's inventions and then there's arena. Arena is going into an arena and competing against eah other. Invention is they create to solve a problem."

The state competition will be May 20 in Austin, Texas.

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Sweetwater Robotics Team Preparing for State - Big Country Homepage

The List: Robotics cluster continues to thrive in the Bay State Boston Business Journal The 19 companies on this year's BBJ list of the Largest Robotics Companies in Massachusetts (which doesn't include large defense contractors or nonprofit labs) reported employing a combined workforce of 2,486 in the Bay State as of Feb. 1, 2017.

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The List: Robotics cluster continues to thrive in the Bay State - Boston Business Journal

TAWAS CITY Tawas Area High School Robotics team completed its inaugural season of FIRST Robotics with a win at the Midland competition March 23-25.

FIRST Robotics is a program designed for high school students all over the world. Students are given specific parameters and guidelines in which to design and program a robot around. Teams then have six weeks to work with local engineers, fabricators and programmers to create a working robot.

After the robot is complete, teams go head-to-head at competitions across the state. Competitions combine the excitement of sports with the rigors of science and technology as 40 teams compete both alongside alliances, as well as against one another until the final alliance made up of three teams wins.

In both competition weekends, Tawas Robotic Team 6545 finished in the top 20. After being selected to join an alliance in the quarterfinals at the Midland competition, Tawas finished in the semifinals.

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Tawas Robotics team completes first year - Iosco County News Herald

The Pink Eagles' robot won first place in the Wonder League robotics competition.(Photo: Fred Tappen/Pink Eagles coach)

Hartland Townships Pink Eagles captured a top prize at the Wonder League Robotics Competition.

Coach FrankTappensaid the team, comprised of female students from Ore Creek Middle School, is ecstatic about its win.

Our daughter and her friends first joined Wonder League thinking it would be a fun and engaging way to learn more about robotics, but what they discovered was so much more than that, Tappen said. While solving this years missions, the girls learned invaluable, lifelong skills about time management, group collaborationand contributing to their community.

By working closely as a team, they developed some pretty creative solutions. What started out as a robotics project for a small group of girls grew into a remarkable story of learning and perseverance that excited our entire community, he added.

Wonder Workshop, creators of Dash & Dot robots that teach students creative problem solving, codingand robotics, announced the winners of thecompetition on Tuesday.

More than 5,300 teams from 52 countries participated in the competition. The Pink Eagles won the grand prize for the 9-to-12 age group and team XPLODE from Bangalore, India, won the grand prize for the 6-to-8 age group.

The grand-prize-winning teams each received a $5,000 grant for science, technology, engineering and math-related supplies anda Dash robot for every member of the team.

The competition began in October with a finalist roundin January. The teams competed to rescue animal habitats on Bear Byte Island by completing coding lessons and challenges.

Tappen said the Pink Eagles formed three years ago and has had great success this year, placing second in a First Lego League robotics contest. On Saturday, the team competes in Robofest in Canton.

They are having a banner year, he said.

Contact Livingston Daily justice reporter Lisa Roose-Church at 517-552-2846 or lrchurch@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @LisaRooseChurch.

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All-girls robotics team wins international competition - Livingston Daily

MCALLEN, Texas - The fields of science, technology, engineering and math may be dominated by males. But after getting global recognition for a project they worked on, two girls from McAllen are hoping to bridge the gender gap in STEM careers.

Siena Molinaro and Ena Garza have plenty to celebrate after earning Third Place in a Global Robotics competition that had over 20,000 students participating.

The fact that they were one of top three teams in the competition had the girls from Dr. Pablo Perez Elementary in some disbelief.

Siena Molinaro, "I was pretty surprised that we got third. I feel like we're really lucky to be in coding, and I think it was a great opportunity and I'm so glad that we got third."

Ena Garza, "I think it's just really fun to do. It's a great opportunity to show that women are also able to do many things that men aren't.

The competition was organized by a worldwide network of coding and robotics clubs, also known as the Wonder League.

Teams of students between the ages of 6 and 12 had access to one set of dash and dot robots that the students would program using coding. For Siena, Ena and their coding coach Cynthia Cooksey, it wasn't easy to achieve what they did.

Cynthia Cooksey, "We had some difficulties. Especially in the final challenge. The girls actually had to come up with a device that can carry two balls and deposit one in location, and one in another location. We tried several things. It's a trial and error process, and when they finally hit on something, it was phenomenal. Just seeing it come together was an awesome feeling for all of us."

44% of the participants were girls, but Ena and Siena would like to see that number grow and have one message for all kids, especially girls that want to get into coding.

Siena, If you think you can do something, but everyone says you can't... Don't not try. If you keep practicing and keep trying then you can really accomplish your goals."

Ena, "Never give up, and if you want to do it as much as you love yourself, then go for it and do the best that you can at all times."

The girls' coding coach added that next year their school plans on having more teams participate in the competition.

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Third Graders Place Third in Global Robotics Competition - Story - RGVProud

Science Daily

Fighting world hunger: Robotics aid in the study of corn and drought ... Science Daily Developing drought tolerant corn that makes efficient use of available water will be vital to sustain the estimated 9 billion global population by 2050. In March ... Robotic system takes a one-two approach to crop analysis - GizmagNew Atlas all 3 news articles »

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Fighting world hunger: Robotics aid in the study of corn and drought ... - Science Daily