BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The song, well, the song was all wrong.
As the theme from “Mission: Impossible” blared throughout Stabler Arena on Friday, more than 2,000 high school students were showing what is indeed possible when curiosity meets ingenuity meets necessity.
For the 14th year, Lehigh is holding the FIRST Mid-Atlantic District Robotics Championships.
“More than anything else, as an organization, we talk about not just using kids to build robots. We’re using robots to build in young people the character we need to develop in young people.”Frank Farrell, executive director of Mid-Atlantic Robotics, of Princeton, New Jersey
Sixty of the top teams from schools in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware are competing in 3-teams vs. 3-teams competition using robots built by students with an eye on their future and the future of mankind.
The Top 20 teams after Saturday’s finals competition will advance to the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) International Championships, April 16-19 in Houston, Texas.
“More than anything else, as an organization, we talk about not just using kids to build robots,” said Frank Farrell, executive director of Mid-Atlantic Robotics, of Princeton, New Jersey.
“We’re using robots to build in young people the character we need to develop in young people.”
No experience needed
Robotics is the interdisciplinary study and practice of the design, construction, operation and use of robots.
The branch of technology typically combines three aspects of design to create robot systems: mechanical construction, electrical components and software.
“More than anything else, as an organization, we talk about not just using kids to build robots. We’re using robots to build in young people the character we need to develop in young people.”<br/><br/>Frank Farrell, executive director of Mid-Atlantic Robotics, of Princeton, N.J.
Robotics clubs challenge students to work with their adult mentors to build a robot in a six-week time frame using a standard “kit of parts” and a common set of rules.
No experience with engineering or robot construction is needed.
The robots resemble compressed bumper cars. They are programmable multifunctional mechanical devices designed to move material, parts, tools or specialized devices through variable programmed motions to perform a variety of tasks.
'Work on their leadership skills'
During competition, the robots are, except for the first 15 seconds, operated remotely from outside a large enclosed area.
The robots zig, zag and zoom inside the area, sometimes crashing into one another or the exterior barrier.
"The goal is for robotics to teach design principles of engineering. There are hundreds of engineering principles in the real world that go into building robots.”Southern Lehigh junior Matthew Aung
They are fed the PVC pipe by a student team member. The objective is to be the team whose robots place the most short PVC pipes — called coral — onto elevated pipes on a device called a reef in a designated amount of time.
Among the top schools is the robotics team from Southern Lehigh High School, known as the Spartechs —a play on the school’s nickname, Spartans.
The Spartechs’ 110-pound robot’s name is Poseidon.
“A lot of students that participate in robotics end up in the engineering and STEAM fields,” said Southern Lehigh junior Matthew Aung, who is interested in pursuing a career in biomedical engineering.
“In general, 90 percent of our students pursue a STEAM-related career. And we have a lot of people in a lot of different fields who come together here and work on their leadership skills.
“But the goal is for robotics to teach design principles of engineering. There are hundreds of engineering principles in the real world that go into building robots.”
'To best meet the challenges'
While winning robot competitions is the short-term mission, it is far from the long-term goal.
“The biggest part of this is the kids being able to collaborate and work as teams and build relationships and work with professional engineers,” Spartechs advisor Jon Piperato said.
“The hands-on experience they’re getting is unmatched anywhere you go. They’re learning about collaboration, which will benefit them down the road.”
“These mentors work with the kids Monday through Thursday. They spend countless hours with them, helping them, instructing them. Showing them how to do things right.”Spartechs advisor Jon Piperato
Among the companies assisting Southern Lehigh robotics team members are retired engineers from Lockheed Martin and Lutron Electronics in Coopersburg.
“These mentors work with the kids Monday through Thursday,” Piperato said. “They spend countless hours with them, helping them, instructing them. Showing them how to do things right.”
As the nearly packed Stabler Arena reverberated with supporters cheering on their favorite team, Farrell smiled.
“We’re hosting [event title sponsor] Johnson & Johnson this morning,” he said. “They’ve been amazed at the complexity of these machines and their application toward manufacturing.
"They say, ‘This is the adaptability we need in manufacturing in our industry.’”
“What’s amazing is these young people here are constantly tweaking their robot to best meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. They’re showing what’s possible.”
On the 1960s "Mission: Impossible" TV series, a tape recording would deliver the Impossible Missions Force's latest assignment with, "Should you choose to accept it ..."
On another mission at another time, today's students have.
