Seasoned Robo Cats of Girard High build multiple skills

By Linda Linonis | February 22, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Seasoned Robo Cats of Girard High build multiple skills

By LINDA M. LINONIS

Vindicator Staff Writer

Photo by: Lisa-Ann Ishihara

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ROBOTIC PROGRAMMING: Girard High School students Adam Biddle, 17, left, and Jordan Cole, 16, work on programming their team’s robot for its upcoming robotics competition.

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Judy Barber of Girard High School

The Robo Cats are working under pressure, facing a deadline of 5 p.m. Tuesday to ship their robot to the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition (www.USFIRST.org) set March 26 and 27 at the Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University.

Since Jan. 9 when the kickoff of FIRST Robotics Competition was broadcast, the team of 23 students in grades nine through 12 has spent time after school (even snow days) and on weekends to design, build, program and test a robot and prepare a presentation.

Girard’s team isn’t alone under the pressure. It belongs to North East Ohio FIRST Robotics Alliance with teams from Austintown, Champion, Chaney, Liberty, Maplewood, Niles and Warren G. Harding high schools. Girard’s advisers are teachers Judy Barber of the English Department and Ashraf Hadi, technology education.

“What’s really great about robotics competition is that teams share resources and help start new teams,” Barber said. Girard and Warren G. Harding helped Austintown and Niles start teams this year; Girard mentored Liberty last year, and Liberty is competing again this year.

Barber said it is much different than athletic competition. “If it’s something we’ve mastered ... we share our skills,” Barber said.

Barber said the robotics competition challenges students’ creativity and exposes them to real-world careers in fields such as mechanical engineering, computer programming and public relations.

The students work in two groups. The build team focuses on building, programming and testing the robot and the public relations team creates a Web site (www.girardrobotics.com), makes posters, coordinates fundraisers, develops presentations on the project to give to community organizations and makes travel arrangements. “There’s a place for everybody [on the team],” said Hadi.

All robotics teams get the same kit. “But no two robots look the same,” Hadi said. These robots are remote-controlled machines programmed to carry out tasks specific to the challenge; this year it’s a soccer-like playing field.

Barber said every team buys a kit costing $5,000 that includes registration for a regional competition. The business plan details expenses; the team sponsors fund-raisers. Among Robo Cats’ supporters are Interstate Shredding, which donated money; M7 Technologies in Youngstown, which donated a welding machine; and Flex-Strut Inc. in Warren, which donated aluminum.

“We have mentors who work with students ... adult professionals in various careers,” Barber said. They are: Emil David, retired machinist who has been with the team 11 years; Nick DiFabio and Denny McBride, General Motors retirees; Randy Suchanek, retired mechanical engineer; Mark Plant, Girard High graduate and former team member and mechanical engineering major at Youngstown State University; and school Superintendent Joseph Jeswald.

Barber emphasized the project goes beyond building a robot. “This helps develop self-confidence, engineering abilities, math applications, problem-solving and teamwork,” Barber said.

Maxwell Horne, 17, a senior, “This teaches you how to work toward a goal.”

He noted that he learned skills with tools through a mix of mentoring and being self-taught. “Practice develops skills,” he said.

A junior, Rachel Coggins, 17, has overcome a reluctance to speak in public by being involved in Robo Cats. “We make a lot of presentations, and there’s public speaking,” she said.

Sophomore Jordan Cole, 16, is working on the visual programming of the robot. “I like working on computers and like to program,” he said, noting the project gives him a lot of practice.

Max’s younger brother, Sam, 15 and a freshman, said he “fetches things” for veteran team members but is learning in the process. Hadi said, “New team members shadow older students.”

Erik DelBane, 16 and a sophomore, said he enjoyed the challenge of building and engineering. “You learn so much,” he said.

Other team members are Megan Avery, Tyler Biddle, Leslie Bucklew, Alisa Cario, Emily Cramer, Anthony Esposito, Abbie Hall, Jason Hockey, Jason Huey, Patrick Kempe, Joelle Lambert, Brittany Marion, Jamal McClendon, Michael Mymo, Kelsey Snyder, Lindsay Snyder, Dave Stonebraker and Kaleigh Wallace.

The team changes from year to year as freshman join and seniors graduate. In 2007, Robo Cats were Buckeye Regional champions with Warren G. Harding and a team from Erie, Pa. In 2009, Girard also received an award for the quality of its robot.