New generation plugs into robotics

A new generation of students is plugged into the world of robotics, courtesy of a group internationally known students in Utica Community Schools.

The UCS ThunderChickens, a UCS FIRST team housed at the Utica Center for Mathematics, Science and Technology, recently held Robot Day at the Clinton Macomb Public Library.

Nearly 400 students from a variety of schools and districts across Macomb County participated in activities designed to show these young students the fun and excitement of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Students were able to try their driving skills with Vex IQ Robots, practice drilling and riveting, observe how a motor works in a robot, get first-hand interaction with two of the team’s robots, and learn more about FIRST robotics. They even had the opportunity to see a 3D printer in action and tried their hand at programming.

The day was a huge success. Many students and parents found the activities interesting and educational, and many of the students said they would like to continue to pursue robotics in high school.

The FIRST Robotics Competition is an international high school robotics competition that gives students real-world engineering experience. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of 25 students or more are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors.

The ThunderChickens Robotics team is the 2006 and 2008 World Champion and has finished among the nation’s top ten teams five of the past seven years.