Teacher and Robotics Program Founder Ian McTavish brought along 3 of his team to our recent meeting to tell us a bit more about the Robotics program we have been financially supporting for a number of years. Students and team members Sophie and Jacob recapped the year just past that saw the team place near the top at a couple of competitions The program has grown from 6 members twelve years ago to over 40 students involved this year.
Each January the team receives the challenge that the Robot must perform at competitions in March and April. They have 6 weeks to design and program the robot - deciding on size, shape and how to best deliver the functions in the simplest way possible. Two years ago they had to throw cubes into a hopper. Last year they had to shoot frisbee type discs into an opening. Most parts for the robot are manufactured at HHS on their CNC machine and 3D printer but they also receive support for some parts from area businesses. Each year new features need to be developed to perform the unique task or tasks of that year, but some parts are able to be re-used to keep costs reasonable.
One of the great aspects of the program has been the development of a Robotics Summer Camp as well as a Lego League, primarily used to educate, inform and encourage elementary age students to get involved in all the aspects of robotics. Team members Sophie and Jacob both came up through the Lego League system and now are looking to head to post secondary studies in Science & Tech/Engineering.
While only a handful of team members have direct responsibility for design and handling at the competitions, all team members are involved in scoping out other teams and noting what works and doesn't work, all the while being exposed to some of the more challenging aspects of making the Huntsville robot the best. With their growing success at the Regional Competitions it will not be surprising to see HHS leading the Province.
To help them achieve their goal, the Club presented Ian and his team with a cheque for $2,000. Good Luck to this years team!