Altus Air Force Base News

 

SWTC robotics team visits Youth Center

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kenneth W. Norman
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  The robotics team from the Southwest Technology Center demonstrated its award-winning robots Jan. 6, at the Youth Center here.

The demonstration was used to kick off a new robotics program starting at the Youth Center.

"This opening demonstration is to show the children that they can one day build and program a robot of the same level," said Mathew S. Kuhl, 97th Force Support Squadron youth development director.

The robotics program at the Youth Center will allow the children to run the clubs democratically, Mr. Kuhl explained. They will form an organized group and vote for a president, vice-president, treasurer and secretary. Once the officers of the club have been established they will be able to create a name for their group.

"The children say they want to build a robot that can take care of their clean-up for them," Mr. Kuhl said.

The Longshots from SWTC showed off two robots during the emonstration. Robotics team members exhibited how one of the robots could pick up plastic baseballs and then shoot them into a wooden crate. They also displayed how the other robot could pick up PVC pipes and detect if any of the pipes had a magnet inside.

"I was glad to see so many young people at the demonstration," said Brian Chaney, head coach of the Longshots and instructor at SWTC. "They seemed to pay attention very well and asked a lot of great questions."

Last year The Longshots competed in Arlington, Texas and won the robot challenge, as well as the Inspire Award, which made them eligible to compete at the World Championship in Atlanta, Ga. This year the team competed in Weatherford, Okla. with a new robot and won second place in the robot challenge and the Inspire Award for a second time, again qualifying them to compete in April at the World Championship in St. Louis, Mo.

According to the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Technology Challenge website, the Inspire Award is the most prestigious FTC award, and is presented to the team that embodied the challenge of the FTC program. The team that receives this award is chosen by the judges as having best represented a role model FIRST Technology Challenge Team, is a top contender for all other judging categories and is a strong competitor on the field.

With two Inspire Awards in their pockets, The Longshot members hoped to inspire the youth at Altus AFB.

"The most important reason for a demonstration like this is to inspire young people and to get them interested in math, science and engineering," Mr. Chaney said.