Speaker: Science and Technology Committee: Robotics

Pictured from left to right: Shilpa Revi, Jon Buckley, Isaac Goldthwaite, Jon Coyle (son of Ramona Penland-Coyle), Troy Dramble, Greg King, Wolf Lant, Ann Ralston, and Dr. David Axner.

Recently we welcomed students and teachers from Dublin Coffman High School to report on this year's robotics project.  Our club began supporting robotics in 2002 to help address our country's general decline in students interested in STEM: science, technology, engineering, and math. At that time, we formed our science and technology committee and began researching ways to help. We found an organization called FIRST: For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.  FIRST alumni are more likely to attend college, choose a STEM career, and earn a scholarship than similar students who are not in FIRST. Through FIRST, we began our commitment to robotics. We have formed a non-profit organization, CORI [Central Ohio Robotics Initiative], to support robotics throughout Central Ohio. Thanks to the support of our presidents and club members, we have helped young people, especially those who might struggle in STEM but who get involved because their friends do, have fun, learn valuable life skills, and enjoy teamwork and companionship. The organization has continued to grow, and we are working on creating participation in robotics across the state.

 In this year's competition, the robots were assigned to thrown Frisbees into targets and then climb an incline. The students are given their task in January and have to build and program the robots themselves, with help from coach Greg King and mentor Troy Dramble. 

You can see the Coffman "Bad Robot" team and their robot in competition this upcoming Friday evening the 21st and on Saturday the 22nd from 9 am to 5 pm at Dublin Coffman High School. I encourage you to join us.  We're going to have 36 teams and about 500 children and their parents, so we could use your volunteer help at concessions and in other ways. No robotics experience is necessary. You can meet and help the students who will be building the future. For more details, please contact Wolf Lant.

Here's a video of Coffman's robot in action; the students also explain some facts about their work (click here if viewing in email):