Vanderbilt students learn about robotics – Houma Courier

By Garrett Ohlmeyer Staff Writer

Students at Vandebilt Catholic High School are learning engineering by building remotely operated underwater vehicles that they plan to race next weekend.

Ann Robichaux, an Earth science teacher at Vandebilt, said one section she teaches is on oceanography, so she thought it would be a good idea to find a project that would help them learn by doing.

When you talk about ROVs and you see them, theyre kind of rudimentary looking, Robichaux said. But the kids are getting electronics education, theyre learning about buoyancy, theyre learning about balance, theyre learning about electricity.

The ROVs are apart of SeaPerch,a program that helps to provide teachers and students with resources needed to build ROVs. A grant from the Junior Auxiliary of Houma helped the group obtain three kits to get them started.

Twelve students have been working on this project since September and are putting the finishing touches on the ROVs so they can race them Saturday at Bayouland YMCA, 103 Valhi Blvd.,Houma.

Robichaux said the students have watched videos and taken notes while learning how to build the underwater robots. They have also done all the drilling and soldering themselves.

At first, Robichaux said she didnt know too much about building them, and going through the process was a learning opportunity for the students andher.

We just, no pun intended, dove in, Robichaux said. Robotics is a big, big trend, and the idea that there is so much water here and we have businesses nearby that actually do works with ROVs.

On Saturday the students will finally have a chance to testthe ROVsand race them underwater, but this is only the beginning, said Robichaux.

Robichaux said she wants the students to continue building on their ROVs and add more parts like arms or cameras and maybe even try to find other schools to compete against.

Its just a neat way to introduce the kids to engineering, Robichaux said. And try to encourage those fields because there is such a shortage for candidates in those jobs.

-- Staff Writer Garrett Ohlmeyer can be reached at (985) 850-1149 or garrett.ohlmeyer@houmatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @GOhlmeyer.

Read the original here:

Vanderbilt students learn about robotics - Houma Courier