Whiz Kids of the Week: Turbo Trojans Build Robot

Clawson Robotics Club/Turbo Trojans

▪  School:

▪  Accomplishment: The students conceptualized and built a robot in six weeks.

▪  Key to awesomeness: This group of 19 students is strategically savvy, good with number crunching and logical thinkers. By putting their heads together they were able to learn how to be productive in a group setting and create a functional robot. This innovative robot is capable of picking up and placing objects where they want them moved. Co-director of the program, math teacher Jim Kiefer, noted that these scientific students all worked together on every aspect of the project. With this being the second year of the club’s existence, Kiefer noted things are going a bit smoother this year and he’s happy to see participants from last year filling leadership roles this year. Right now the Turbo Trojans are gearing up for their For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Detroit District Competition at Wayne State University beginning on March 18. The goal during the competition is to pick up inflatable shapes and put them on pegs faster than components. The Turbo Trojans are hoping they have the winning equation to pull through the competition. Win or lose, the club members will still get a learning experience out of it— after all, not everyone can say they’ve built a robot. 

Do you know a special kid or group in the community who deserves a round of applause? Everyone deserves a little attention, and we want to tell these stories. So e-mail Whiz Kid nominations to Editor Nicquel Terry at nicquel.terry@patch.com, fill out the information shown above and include a photo. Then come back every Tuesday for our Whiz Kid spotlight.