There is plenty of enthusiasm in Westlake High Schools award-winning robotics program, and it has come a long way since being formed 10 years ago. This year, it inaugurated a new home with substantially more space in the old bus barn, but there never seems to be enough room to accommodate the growing interest.
Six different classes are offered and students who cant fit robotics into their schedule during the day, can participate in a team after school.
Students are passionate about this program where science meets fun, and Coach Norman Morgan says that along the way, the top five skills his students learn are: communication, problem-solving, time-management, failure and success.
First Tech Challenge Teams are filled with Freshman and Sophomores, and Juniors and Seniors work on the varsity team which participates in the First Robotics Challenge. Morgan said. The last two years, weve had over 70 students on our varsity team and over 65 on the junior varsity teams.
One of his goals has been to recruit more girls to the program, and theyve increased the number of girls substantially. The team made a concentrated effort to recruit at the seventh-grade level to convince enough girls to sign-up. One of them was Rosemarie Pousset, 17, who will be a senior.
A few girls and I came together and founded the all-girls First Tech Challenge team at Westlake, called the Psionics, Pousset said. Im so proud of the legacy we have here because Ive been mentoring the younger girls. Seeing the girls get hands-on after being afraid to makes me so happy.
Pousset is on the leadership team, which does fundraising pitches. Morgan says they go out and find corporate sponsorships.
Financing the team is always a problem because it is a real expensive, Morgan said. We developed a pitch-deck, and she (Pousset) and a few others trained with a start-up guy. Now they have experience pitching to these multi-national corporations.
Shrey Majmudar, 17, who will also be a senior, is a member of the outreach team who goes to Science days at the elementary schools. He encourages STEM and robotics participation in the middle schools, and informs the public about the teams successes and needs. Voluntary service is a big component of the program.
This summer, were hosting 23 camps through EISD, Majmudar said. We have our teams student volunteers at each of these camps, teaching kids from third to ninth grade about everything from programming their own apps, to 3D printing, to classic LEGO robots.
Every year, First Robotics Competition gives out the Deans List award, its highest honor, to the student whose passion and effectiveness is exemplary in leading their teams. Majmudar was one of four students to win in the 10-year history of the Westlake robotics program.
Morgan also won the Woody Flowers Award, which is the highest honor any team mentor can receive. He was also honored by the Eanes school district with its Teacher of the Year title in 2014.
The First Robotics Competition held every year, brings an intense challenge with a six-week time limit to build and program a large robot capable of playing a field game against competitors. Teams have limited resources and must raise funds and use their wits and imagination to best their opponents. For the past five years in a row, the Westlake team received the Chairmans Award at the regional level of this competition because it best represents a model for other teams to emulate
This years team also got to the subdivision finals of the World Championship competition with their robot-the furthest the team has ever gotten.
Some team members have also traveled the globe to mentor teams in other countries. Alumni of the program are rewarded by acceptance into prestigious colleges and are employed by pioneering technology companies.
Visit link:
Westlake Robotics exceeds tech challenges - Austin American-Statesman
- Robotics Academy - December 14th, 2016 [December 14th, 2016]
- KUKA Robotics | KUKA AG - December 14th, 2016 [December 14th, 2016]
- Robotics - The Great Courses - December 22nd, 2016 [December 22nd, 2016]
- Robotics - reddit - January 11th, 2017 [January 11th, 2017]
- Chatham Robotics Goes Undefeated and Moves On to State Championship - TAPinto.net - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Meridian robotics team gears up for Idaho FRC Regional - KBOI-TV - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Local robotics students headed to World Championship tournament - KOLO - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Report: Nearshoring favors robotics, will require heavy capital investment - Supply Chain Dive - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Belding hosts largest robotics competition in history of event - Greenville Daily News - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- First Tech Challenge: High schools battle in robotics competition - The Journal News | LoHud.com - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Robotics Team Takes Home Trophy at Lego Competition - Patch.com - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- OHS robotics club dazzles McKinley students - Southernminn.com - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Toyota Industries Acquires Warehouse Robotics Developer - Wall Street Journal - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- South High wins Volvo's robotics tournament - Herald-Mail Media - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Belding hosts robotics competition - Sentinel-Standard - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- CMS robotics program soars - SW News Media - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Update On The Megatrend of Robotics - CTOvision (blog) - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- 33C3: Edible Soft Robotics - Hackaday - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Shopping robots on the march in Ocado - BBC News - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Keller students Starstruck on robotics - Fort Worth Star Telegram - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Our obsession with robots keeps getting creepier - New York Post - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Rethink Robotics makes its workplace bots easier to train and redeploy - TechCrunch - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Donation will cover costs for Sequim robotic competition - Peninsula Daily News - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Derby Middle School robotics club competes at high school competition - The Derby Informer - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Raspberry Pi-powered arm: This kit aims to make robotics simple enough for kids - TechRepublic - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- WPI Robotics Team Has a Mission with Mars | News | WPI - WPI News - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Rehab robotics field promises to return control, mobility to aging population - ScienceBlog.com (blog) - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Rethink's Robots Get Massive Software Upgrade, Rodney Brooks So Excited - IEEE Spectrum - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Robotics: A robot that flies like a bat : Nature : Nature Research - Nature.com - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Robotics teams at CCS stay busy at tournaments - Imperial Republican - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Rethink Robotics rethinks its software | ZDNet - ZDNet - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Hartland robotics teams take on the FIRST Tech challenge at state competition - LC Sussex Sun - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Home-schooled students studying robotics - Valencia County News Bulletin - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Agility Robotics Introduces Cassie, a Dynamic and Talented Robot Delivery Ostrich - IEEE Spectrum - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Memphis robotics team headed to Super-Regionals - New Baltimore Voice Newspapers - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Patriot Robotics Alliance upsets Brentwood Academy Alliances - Clarksville Now - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Raptor legs & human hips: Giant leap for walking robots - RT - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- How drones and robotics may shape the future of conflict under President Trump - PRI - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Robotics teams wins at state meet - The Citizen.com - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Ford Bets $1B on Startup Founded by Waymo, Uber Vets - ABC News - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- South Beach robotics squad advances to super regionals - The Daily World - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Personal robotics the next technological revolution: Dr Vivian Balakrishnan - Channel NewsAsia - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- This bipedal robot could deliver your packages one day - The Verge - The Verge - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Robotics event offers lesson in teamwork - Lewiston Morning Tribune (subscription) - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Essex County Freeholders Honor Livingston Robotics Club Teams - TAPinto.net - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- College Town: WPI Robotics team aims for $1M NASA prize - Worcester Telegram - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Alice Shaw robotics team building invention to save wolves | Local ... - Lompoc Record - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Ford invests $1B in robotics startup in driverless car quest - CBS News - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Freshman Caldwell team takes first place in Regional Robotics Tournament - Idaho Press-Tribune - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- What went seriously wrong with Lily Robotics - VentureBeat - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Face off: Marion students compete in robotics competition - The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration) - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Robotics Competition slated for Monday - San Angelo Standard Times - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Cornerstone Prep robotics team brings home trophy in first year - MDJOnline.com - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Center Grove robotics team headed to state competition - Daily Journal - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Hundreds piled into a Fort Mill gym. They cheered. They competed. They drove robots. - The Herald - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- My Turn: Arts education paved the way for girls' robotics win - AZCentral.com - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Young Alberta engineers face off in robotics showdown - CBC.ca - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Cougar robotics team advances to Super-Regionals - Times Bulletin - Times Bulletin - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- South Carroll Robotics teams compete at Maryland State Robotics Competition - Carroll County Times - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Cave Spring High School's Robotics Club wins in the First Tech ... - Roanoke Times - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- FIRST Robotics Competition - Wikipedia - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Designing robots to look more like ostriches can solve a key problem for our future biped overlords - Quartz - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- More than 1000 high school students expected to Battlefield HS robotics tournament - PotomacLocal.com - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Event to look at Scotland's pivotal role in robotics - The Scotsman - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Kennett Coders to compete in NH State Robotics Championships on Saturday - Conway Daily Sun - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Are there enough robots? - Robotics Tomorrow (press release) - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois robotics team makes state tournament - Alton Telegraph - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Intuition Robotics raised $6 million for its ElliQ elder care assistant robot - TechCrunch - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Richmond robotics team gears up for districts - New Baltimore Voice Newspapers - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Microsoft lets you crash drones and robots in its new real world simulator - The Verge - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Makeblock's Lego-like 'Neuron' teaches kids robotics and code - Engadget - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- West Ridge robotics team maneuvers into national championship - Austin American-Statesman - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Immokalee High team set for robotics state championships Friday - Naples Daily News - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- What has Robotics got in store for our future? - RTE.ie - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Uber Is Becoming a Robotics Company, CEO Says - Yahoo News - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- 3Doodler's new kits help kids craft their own robots - Engadget - Engadget - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Magnetic Control Could Help Robots Navigate Inside Your Body - IEEE Spectrum - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Boston's new hub, MassRobotics, is like a WeWork for robotics startups - TechCrunch - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- 3Doodler announces a robotics kit, Star Trek and Powerpuff Girls ... - TechCrunch - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Chart: Are Robots Replacing High-Cost Workers? - Seeking Alpha - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]