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Daily Archives: February 13, 2017
Local students go head-to-head in national robotics competition – WHAG
Posted: February 13, 2017 at 9:22 am
EMMITSBURG, Md. - All eyes were on the PNC Mount Saint Mary's Sports Complex as 48 robotics teams and over 500 middle and high school students compete in Maryland's first tech challenge championship.
Students practiced hands on STEMactivities then teamed up to build driving robots. These teams went through 6 qualifying tournaments to make it to this championship.
"These little particles and putting them into center vortexes to earn points and capping balls and moving stuff around on the field while being cooperative so competing and being cooperative with the people they're competing against" , said Zachary Trautwein, a STEM teacher at Southern Garrett high school.
The first tech challenge program is designed to inspire students to become technology and engineering innovators.
"Trying to build robots that's are eighteen by eighteen to compete with a certain challenge since then. And were at the state championship to see who will move on to super regionals to see who will go on to St Louis in April", said Mariah Bolden, a STEM student at Southern Garrett high school.
"This is a great opportunity for the students its shows that we as a society values science and engineering. It gives them a place to showcase their skills, they're going to do stuff here that they probably aren't doing in school in regular science class.", said Jeffrey Simmons, the Dean of Natural Science and Math at Mount Saint Mary's University.
In this program, the students are also strongly encouraged to work as a team to cooperate to foster a culture of gracious professionalism.
The top competitive teams will advance to compete at the final robotics championship held in St. Louis in April of this year.
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Cornerstone Prep robotics team brings home trophy in first year – MDJOnline.com
Posted: at 9:22 am
ACWORTH Ten Cornerstone Preparatory Academy students worked like a well-oiled machine last semester by building a robot that took home the first trophy for the schools robotics team at a regional competition.
The fifth- and sixth-grade students from the private kindergarten to 12th grade school in Acworth joined forces to become Stormbots Cornerstones first Lego Robotics team this school year.
The team took home its first trophy, celebrating the teams good sportsmanship, at a Georgia Institute of Technology-sponsored competition in December in Roswell, the first the team had participated in.
Students programmed a robot no bigger than a shoe box to perform tasks such as pushing, pulling and grabbing small objects, said team member David Baines, an 11-year-old fifth-grader from Kennesaw.
In addition to programming the robot before the competition, the students created a five-minute skit to perform for the competitions judges.
Theres a lot more to (robotics) said fifth-grader Isaac Sanchez, 10, of Acworth.
Teams had to present a problem and solution for an environmental issue that affects both animals and humans to satisfy the competitions Animal Allies theme.
The Cornerstone teams skit addressed the possible extinction of honey bees, which is predicted to severely impact humans, said David.
After (honey bees are) extinct, (mankind) will have less than four years of life left, he said.
The skit featured fifth-graders Madelyn Beatty and Sarah Sanabia dressed as bees while fifth-grader Keaton McCollum performed in a head-to-toe yellow outfit as pollen. Patrick Garner, an 11-year-old sixth-grader, performed in a beekeeper outfit provided by Kennesaws Hometown Honey.
Cornerstone won the core values award for their teamwork, and their robots performance landed the team a ticket to a super regionals competition.
The team finished its season after competing in the super regionals on Jan. 14.
With the season over, the fifth-graders are buzzing to continue building the team next year and bring home more trophies.
Cornerstone Prep has an enrollment of 480 students and was founded in 2004.
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Cougar robotics team advance to Super-Regionals – Times Bulletin
Posted: at 9:22 am
The Van Wert robotics Team won medals over the weekend at the state championship. They will now advance to the North Super-Regional competition. (Photo courtesy of Bob Spath)
The team overcame a couple losses in early rounds, persevering and eventually landing a partnership with the number two team going into the semi-finals. After sweeping the first best of three semi-finals, the team faced the top seeded team and, after losing the first match in the finals, the Van Wert High School robotics team along with the robotics team called TBD from Aurora, Ohio, took the final two matches.
Only five teams from Ohio advance to the next level; winning the state championship advances the Van Wert team to the North Super-Regional competition in Iowa at the end of March where the top teams from 11 states will compete for coveted spots in the World Championship.
Coaches Zane McElroy and Bob Spath are thrilled to have the opportunity to represent Van Wert at the Super-Regional competition.
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Cougar robotics team advance to Super-Regionals - Times Bulletin
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Robotics Competition slated for Monday – San Angelo Standard Times
Posted: at 9:22 am
Jerry Lackey, Special to the Standard-Times Published 2:20 p.m. CT Feb. 12, 2017 | Updated 18 hours ago
The Robotics Competition at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo.(Photo: contributed)
For the second year, Robotics Competition takes the spotlight Monday at the 85th San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo in the Auto Wrangler Livestock Pavilion.
The popular sport is open for 4-H and FFA teams, plus public, private and home-school teams.
Registration is from 8:30 to 10 a.m., and the first round starts at 10:10 for juniors in grades 3-5. Intermediates and seniors will follow. Each division will have two rotations.
Monday at the San Angelo Fairgrounds is perhaps at a slower pace, as barns are cleaned and prepared for the next wave of livestock. The Wells Fargo Pavilion Commercial Exhibits, Creative Arts Building and midway food vendors open at 10 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m. The Alon Carnival will be open from 5-11 p.m.
Tuesday is move-in day for Junior Market Barrow in the swine section of the Auto Wrangler Livestock Pavilion. Across midway at the 1st Community Credit Union Spur Arena, Ag Mechanics Show entries will be setting up starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Judges will spend Wednesday evaluating and placing an expected number of entries of more than 600.
Theres much more stock show and four more rodeo performances in this final week. The stock show will culminate with the Junior Premium Sale at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and the rodeos last performance will also be Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with the $100,000 Chute-Out.
Meanwhile, during a lull in competition while new entries arrive, this would be a good time to highlight the Ambassador program which plays a very important part in the SASSRA program, not only during rodeo time but year around.
Some of us remember when the primary function of the Ambassadors was to set pivots for the grand entry and post colors for the National Anthem. Since that time the program has grown to 12 members on the drill team.
These days, the ambassadors perform fast-paced drills during rodeo performances in San Angelo, and around the Lone Star State. The group is required to attend numerous, extensive practices year round to ensure the drills go off without a hitch.
Drill team members must be excellent riders and horsewomen. Page Allison, a junior at Wall High School, is captain. Lauren Feller, who attends Irion County High School in Mertzon, is co-captain.
Other ambassadors include: Shayleigh Albert, Miles Junior High; Mikaela Avila, Wall student; Jordayn Berryhill, Bronte High School; Caylee Hardin, Christoval High School; Susannah Mann, Christoval 8th grader; Lana Mitchell, Christoval senior; Logan Price, Lake View High School sophomore; Maricela Rojas, Christoval senior; Daisy Shivers, Grape Creek High School; Abby Walker, Christoval 8th grader; and Hanna Weatherly, Bronte High School senior.
Jerry Lackey(Photo: Standard-Times file photo)
Jerry Lackey is agriculture editor emeritus. Contact him at jlackey@wcc.net .
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Robotics Competition slated for Monday - San Angelo Standard Times
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Center Grove robotics team headed to state competition – Daily Journal
Posted: at 9:22 am
The challenge handed to them months ago was to make a robot that would earn points by shooting balls into two corners of a field and into a middle vestibule.
And now, the robots they have spent nearly six months building will compete at a statewide competition.
Center Groves FIRST Tech Challenge teams Panic in the Build Room 8149 and Cyber Storm 6190 will compete at a state competition later this month.
Fourteen-year-old Kris Huff and mentor Dave Stevenson work to finish up the installation of a new motor on Tuesday, February 7, 2017. The Center Grove FIRST Tech Challenge team Panic in the Build Room 8149 will compete in a state competition later this month. Scott Roberson / Daily Journal
Thirteen-year-old Jacob Tallman programs a change in the movements of his team's robot on Tuesday, February 7, 2017. The Center Grove FIRST Tech Challenge team Panic in the Build Room 8149 will compete in a state competition later this month. Scott Roberson / Daily Journal
Members of the Center Grove FIRST Tech Challenge team Panic in the Build Room 8149 watch as their robot shoots a ball toward a target on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 at Center Grove High School. Scott Roberson / Daily Journal
Members of the Center Grove FIRST Tech Challenge team Panic in the Build Room 8149 work to replace a faulty motor on their robot Tuesday, February 7, 2017 at Center Grove High School. Scott Roberson / Daily Journal
L-R Center Grove FIRST Tech Challenge team Panic in the Build Room 8149 members 15-year-olds Ethan Matei and Josh Stevenson work together to replace a faulty motor on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 at Center Grove High School. Scott Roberson / Daily Journal
Center Grove FIRST Tech Challenge team Panic in the Build Room 8149 member 15-year-old Ethan Matei attaches a plug to the end of a motor on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 at Center Grove High School. Scott Roberson / Daily Journal
A cellphone is used to control the robot of Center Grove FIRST Tech Challenge team Panic in the Build Room 8149 on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 at Center Grove High School. Scott Roberson / Daily Journal
Members of the Center Grove FIRST Tech Challenge team Panic in the Build Room 8149 practice using their robot on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 at Center Grove High School. Scott Roberson / Daily Journal
A cellphone and video game controllers are used to control the robot of Center Grove FIRST Tech Challenge team Panic in the Build Room 8149 on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 at Center Grove High School. Scott Roberson / Daily Journal
Center Grove FIRST Tech Challenge team Panic in the Build Room 8149 members work together to replace a faulty motor on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 at Center Grove High School. Scott Roberson / Daily Journal
The junior varsity teams are made up of mostly eighth and ninth grade students who can later join the FIRST Red Alert team at Center Grove High School that is mostly sophomore and upper class students. The junior varsity teams earned a berth to state by placing among the top three or four teams at qualifying events across the state, mentor Mark Horne said.
In September, the 28 students, split between the two teams, got their task at the same time as other teams across the world. No blueprints on what the robot should look like or how to build it were shared.
Students had to come up with every aspect of their robot themselves, said Imogen Horne, a freshmen and team captain for Panic in the Build Room.
We figured out what parts of the game we wanted to do, she said.
Then, they got to work.
Students split up into groups and each group came up with a few ideas for one part of the robot. Then, the team came together and decided which ideas were the best and used those as the blueprint of their robot.
We picked the best ideas to build the prototype, she said.
The robots have one cellphone strapped to the top and a second cellphone with a controller allows the students to control their robot.
Now that the state competition is a few weeks away, students may make improvements to their prototype, versus building another robot from scratch, Horne said.
In the past few months, students had to run their robot and decide what worked and what ideas they could come up with to improve their creation, said Annalise Tugan, an eighth-grader at Center Grove Middle School North.
It was a lot of trial and error to put it together and make right, she said.
Their Cyberstorm robot cost $15 to make, with most of the parts coming from recycled parts from past years, said Walker Grove, an eighth-grade student at Center Grove Middle School Central.
Students must make the decisions on how to build their robots to do what they want them to do. Any parts they cant salvage from past projects can be ordered at specialty robotic part websites, students said.
And students must stick to the budget. Each team gets around $5,000 for their season, with money coming from sponsorships and student fundraising. Most of the budget is used up with registration fees for competition, with some competitions costing a few thousand dollars for students to participate in, Horne said.
About 162 students participate in the robotics program district-wide and even students who dont find themselves drawn to engineering or actually building the robot can find a purpose on the robotics team doing other jobs, such as marketing and fundraising, Horne said. The teams work out of the school districts new innovation center, with their own separate area.
There are a lot of different aspects to it, he said.
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Ford invests $1B in robotics startup in driverless car quest – CBS News
Posted: at 9:22 am
SAN FRANCISCO - Ford Motor (F) is spending $1 billion to take over a robotics startup to acquire more of the expertise needed to reach its ambitious goal of having a fully driverless vehicle on the road by 2021.
The big bet announced Friday comes just a few months after the Pittsburgh startup, Argo AI, was created by two alumni of Carnegie Mellon Universitys robotics program, Bryan Salesky and Peter Rander.
Salesky formerly worked on self-driving cars at a high-profile project within Google- now known as Waymo - and Rander did the same kind of engineering at ride-hailing service Uber before the two men teamed up to launch Argo late last year. Argo had been considering whether to raise money from venture capitalists, the conventional fundraising channel for startups, before opting to become an independent subsidiary of Ford instead.
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Ford is spreading its $1 billion investment over a five-year period.
The alliance between Argo and Ford aims to combine the spunk and dexterity of a technologically savvy startup with the financial muscle and manufacturing know-how of a major automaker.
The unusual deal marks the next step in Fords journey toward building a vehicle without a steering wheel or brake pad by 2021 - a vision that CEO Mark Fields laid out last summer.
The decision to turn to Argo for help is a tacit acknowledgement that Ford wouldnt be able to pull it off on its own.
This is likely a realization that Ford is behind relative to companies like GM, Audi, Volvo, Waymo and Uber, and is trying to catch up, said Raj Rajkumar, a Carnegie Mellon computer engineering professor who leads the schools autonomous vehicle research.
Ford is counting on Salesky and Rander to hire about 200 employees during the next year while working on the core technology of its autonomous vehicle - the virtual driver system.
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That will serve as cars brains, eyes, ears and senses, said Raj Nair, Fords chief technical officer who also leads the companys product development.
Competitors such as NVIDIA have developed artificial intelligence that learns about different situations as its tested on roads, something that is almost essential for an autonomous car to function in heavy traffic on city streets.
In return for its funding, Argo will design its driverless system exclusively for Ford and then have a chance to license the technology to other automakers in the future.
If Argos system turns out to be far ahead of anything else on the market, the subsidiary could eventually be worth substantially more than it is now. Argo employees, who will work from offices in Pittsburgh, Michigan and the Silicon Valley, will be given stock in the subsidiary as part of their compensation packages so they will be enriched if their Argos technology becomes a hot commodity.
Ford isnt the first company to spend huge sums to obtain more experience and skills in robotics. Uber bought autonomous trucking startup Otto for an estimated $680 million last summer primarily to get Ottos engineers on its team working on driverless vehicles. Otto co-founder Anthony Levandowski, another former Google engineer, is now overseeing Ubers testing of driverless cars in Pittsburgh and Arizona.
2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Procurious and SOPO Launch Innovative Online Community Platform for Government Procurement Professionals – PR Newswire UK (press release)
Posted: at 9:21 am
World's first "corporate" version of Procurious reinvents how public sector procurement professionals work and collaborate
BOSTON and LONDON, Feb. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In a climate of continuous economic, social and political change, public sector procurement professionals are under increased pressure to meet goals, comply with regulations, and maintain integrity while capturing the best value for every pound spent.
With this in mind, Procurious, the world's leading free online business network for the procurement and supply chain profession, has announced the world's first private, "corporate" version of its platform for the Society of Procurement Officers (SOPO), using technology to reinvent the way in which public sector procurement professionals work and collaborate.
The Community Platform offers SOPO's membership base of more than 2,500 local government procurement professionals in the UK a free, convenient and private place to communicate, share knowledge, develop skills and network online with fellow members.
"Procurious' platform is a big step forward for us and a necessity in helping unite a disparate membership group with common aims," said Paul Smith, Director, SOPO. "By bringing everyone onto the same platform and talking together, we can deliver more value than ever before."
Replacing the previous members-only area on the SOPO website, this world-first use of social media technology by a public procurement organisation provides benefits previously not available, including securely uploading documents, sharing job offers and posing discussion questions.
"We are delighted to partner with SOPO to launch our world-first corporate platform to their broad membership base," said Tania Seary, Founding Chairman, Procurious. "With today's rapidly changing global environment, social media is empowering public procurement professionals to work together in unprecedented ways. We are confident that our customised platform will empower SOPO members to do their jobs more effectively, and propel the collective public procurement profession forward."
In addition to the private SOPO platform, members can also tap into everything that Procurious' larger 20,000 member network has to offer, including professional networking, active discussion forums, blogs, online training videos and podcasts, and event listings. Members will also be able to attend Procurious' annual Big Ideas Summit, a free global digital think tank hosted from London on February 23, 2017.
About Procurious Procurious is the world's first online business community dedicated to procurement and supply chain professionals. It's a hub to advance your career, develop your skills and expand your global professional network. With 20,000 members from around the globe, Procurious aims to empower procurement leaders to connect, collaborate and take a more innovative professional outlook. Think of Procurious as a professional network, news and knowledge hub, learning and career center, all in one place. Join now at http://www.procurious.com it's free to register and participate in the platform.
About Society of Procurement Officers in Local Government The Society of Procurement Officers in Local Government (SOPO) engages in a range of activities to promote the strategic purchasing, contracting and supplies functions. Representing more than 2,500 members, SOPO provides area networks and forums and produces guidance on best practice. Its aim is to advise local authorities throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on all purchasing and supplies matters of national/general interest, and represent its members on other bodies to promote the Society and its aims. For more information, visit http://www.sopo.org.
Contact: Dawn Ringel, Warner Communications dawn@warnerpr.com or +1 781-449-8456
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Tim Cook says AR has more potential than virtual reality – The INQUIRER
Posted: at 9:21 am
APPLE CEO Tim Cook has said that he sees augmented reality (AR) as holding more potential than virtual reality (VR) and that the technology holds as much potential impact to change the world as the smartphone market.
Speaking to The Independent.Cook was asked for his take on future trends like AR, and he left no doubt that he sees the technology as the next major trend ahead of VR
"I'm excited about augmented reality because unlike virtual reality which closes the world out, AR allows individuals to be present in the world but hopefully allows an improvement on what's happening presently," he said
"Most people don't want to lock themselves out from the world for a long period of time and today you can't do that because you get sick from it. With AR you can, not be engrossed in something, but have it be a part of your world, of your conversation. That has resonance."
Cook went on to say that, just like the smartphone has become a global product used by everyone, he believes that AR holds a similar level of potential.
"I regard it as a big idea like the smartphone. The smartphone is for everyone, we don't have to think the iPhone is about a certain demographic, or country or vertical market: it's for everyone. I think AR is that big, it's huge," he said.
I get excited because of the things that could be done that could improve a lot of lives. And be entertaining. I view AR like I view the silicon here in my iPhone, it's not a product per se, it's a core technology."
However, Cook was cool on how soon such technology would become mainstream, and be extension when Apple may get involved, suggesting there is still a way to go to make the capabilities relevant to consumers.
"There are things to discover before that technology is good enough for the mainstream. I do think there can be a lot of things that really help people out in daily life, real-life things, that's why I get so excited about it."
Cook's comments followed on from similarly bullish comments on the UK's future under Brexit, claiming that the nation "would be just fine" and that the firm was committed to the country, as evidenced by its new headquarters in Battersea.
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Classy classes: ‘The Idea of Virtual Reality’ – The Stanford Daily
Posted: at 9:20 am
TAPS 21N: The Idea of Virtual Reality is an all-freshman introductory seminar that allows students to engage with the impact of one of the newest innovations of our time: virtual reality.
From watching VR videos with Google Cardboard to going on field trips to meeting with big names in the industry, students experience VR in multiple contexts.
Students explore VR in TAPS 21N (DEVON ZANDER/The Stanford Daily)
The course is taught by Matthew Wilson Smith, associate professor of German studies and theater and performance studies. For him, the excitement of the curriculum comes with the novelty of its topic.
[Virtual reality is] being created in real time, and largely right around here in Silicon Valley, he said. As a theater scholar and a performance scholar and a literature scholar, its a venture for me to explore a medium that has yet to be created thats in the process of being created. And its a medium that some of the students around the seminar table might be helping to create.
Students are assigned a combination of readings and VR videos to watch with Google Cardboard, which they then discuss during class. One of the main goals of the course is to examine the past, present and future of VR.
Were spending time looking at the history of VR, going back to the 19th century and through the 20th, although it even has roots all the way back to Plato and his allegory of the cave, Smith said. Were [also] trying to speculate forward about where this all might be going its currently a big unknown.
Another critical concern of the class is determining what makes for an immersive VR experience. As Smith describes it, [We] want to ask: What do we mean when we say immersion? Does it mean that we just pay attention, or does it mean that we actually are in a state where we forget the medium?
One way the class has engaged hands-on with the concept of immersion is going on trips to the Virtual Human Interaction Lab on campus, where itis able to use HTC Vive, one of the most cutting-edge VR systems available today.
The breathtaking quality of the simulation of presence was something that I frankly hadnt anticipated, Smith said. I knew it was a feature of the medium, but until Id actually done it, I hadnt fully appreciated just how powerful it is.
The course also explores the concept of agency and spectatorship in VR. Ryan Hsieh 20 was struck by the effect VR portrayals might have on audience responses to humanitarian disaster.
One thing we talk a lot about is desensitization, Hsieh said. For example, one video we watched was of this girl in Syria, another was of a girl in Haiti after the earthquake, and another was of poverty in India. A question we ponder is: Does watching and rewatching all of these scenarios and narratives make us less empathetic?
With all of the high-tech equipment it involves, one might expect TAPS 21N to appeal mostly to STEM majors. But Smith is adamant that, regardless of their interests, students will be able to resonate with some aspect of the course.
There arent as many humanities folks in the class as I would like, and Id like to have a mix, Smith said. I think so much interesting work in the history of technology comes out of people who are really fired up about art, history, literature and the whole world of the arts and the humanities.
Hsieh, who identifies as a STEM person, agreed that the course would be an eye-opening and rewarding experience for peers of various academic backgrounds.
I found out that thats super interesting, and it was engaging to pull from these different topics in discussion, Hsieh said.
Contact Lisa Wang at lisaw20 at stanford.edu.
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See This Famous Masterpiece Recreated in Virtual Reality – UploadVR
Posted: at 9:20 am
Today is Sunday. Speaking of Sundays, the most famous work by the French post-impressionist, Georges Seurat is titledA Sunday on La Grande Jatte.I am the king of segues.
Completed in 1884, this oil on canvas work is best known to the art world as a prime example of the post-industrial frieze and amasterclass in fine brushwork. Most of us, however, know it because of this guy:
The world of high-art was introduced to an entire generation of young people in the 1986 film Ferris Buellers Day Off. A film about one vice principles noble quest to do his job despite the selfish actions of a charismatic truant.
Seurats masterpiece is being used once again to bring culture to the masses. This time, however,were swapping the emotionally confused adolescent for the immersive powerof virtual reality.
VR artist George Peaslee recreatedA Sunday on La Grande Jatte usingGoogles 3D creation platformTilt Brush. In Tilt Brush, users can draw, sculpt, colorusing special hand controllers and a VR headset. You can see the results below along with other notable VR art projects. Feel free tointeract with these creations as well usingthe 3D image hosting capabilities of Sketchab.
VRart is on the rise and, as you can see from the works above, artists are beginning to find their own styles, forge their own voices and bring emotion to theirdigital masterpieces. We cant wait to see what they do next.
Tagged with: art, masterpiece, painting, recreation, sunday on la grande, tilt brush
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