Published: October 10, 2008 11:42 pm            

Memorial starts Robotics Club

EDMOND — Memorial High School mathematics teacher Michelle Madison attended a workshop this summer and returned ready to start a new organization for students interested in math and science.

Madison said she was involved in a workshop at the University of Oklahoma this summer for science and math teachers called Research Experience for Teachers, and through that experience met a teacher from Broken Arrow High School who told her about the club.

“The Robotics Club comes under the Parent Organization called FIRST and it stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,” Madison said.

The organization was started in 1992 by Dean Kamen and is based out of New Hampshire.

“There are three aspects to the organization,” Madison said. “FLL or First Lego League is for middle school students, and then FRC or First Robotics Competition for high school students. There is also FTC or First Technology Challenge for high school students enrolled in vocational schools.”

The structure of the organization is two-fold.

“Students have engineers, teachers and mentors to direct them in building their robot,” Madison said. “They also have sponsors, including corporations and individuals, who help through monetary donations.”

Memorial joins Santa Fe High School, which also has a Robotics Club that placed second at regional competition last year. The students built a robot that was given a specific task to complete.

“Several of our graduating seniors who are now off in college feel like it gave them the opportunity to tackle a real engineering design problem,” said Randy Blackwood, Santa Fe robotics sponsor. “They felt they learned how to take concepts and transfer them into working models. The students had the opportunity to learn some skills in computer programming, as well as mechanical and electrical engineering concepts, and some students learned how to use power tools to construct the robot.”

Blackwood said one student was so inspired that she is now taking higher level math classses she had not planned to take before becoming involved in the robotics team.

The Santa Fe team had 20-25 students involved last year and this year more than 60 students have expressed an interest, Blackwood said.

“At Memorial 36 students are showing interest already,” Madison said, “and a professor from OU, Dr. Choon Yik Tang is a committed mentor. He and his graduate students will be helping.”

The regional competition will be in Oklahoma City for the second year and the entry fee is $6,000.

“In addition to the entry fee, money is needed for supplies, practice robot or robots and parts,” Madison said.

Two grants are available for rookie teams and Madison plans on applying for both of them.

“One is through the state Department of Education which was offered last year also in the amount of $5,000,” Madison said. There are 20 grants available from the state in all. There is also a $6,000 NASA grant.

Students will be building their robot after school once the problem is revealed Jan. 3, and the competition will be Feb. 26-28.

More information will be given during an open house from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in the Memorial Freshman Academy foyer.

“We need anyone in the community who is willing to help the students in the areas of computer, electrical and/or mechanical engineering,” Madison said.

“The non-engineering mentor organization will help with marketing and providing snacks for work days. Mentors also can participate by helping with bookkeeping and shipping of the robot as well as being support personnel.

        

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