Kinazium Student Robotics Environment

Don't know that I think this is a gamer changer, but having kids construct environments in which to run their robots and test out their capacity to handle barriers and physical challenges is definitely a part of the richness of Student Robotics. This appears to be a low cost way for teachers (and others who guide student roboticists) to standardize those environments and get some control over what students create them from, how they store them, etc. Could be a nice addition to  a classroom robotics set up.Good idea!

Minnesota Student Robotics Team Invited to White House

Interesting piece from Center for Digital Education:
https://www.govtech.com/education/Minnesota-Robotics-Students-Invited-to-White-House.html?utm_term=READ%20MORE&utm_campaign=Sultry%20Photos%20Cause%20Parent%20Opposition%20to%20School%20iPad%20Program&utm_content=email&utm_source=Act-On+Software&utm_medium=email

Minnesota Robotics Students Invited to White House

Farmington High School’s team of robotic students modified a wheelchair to fit the needs of a disabled child and the project caught the attention of aides organizing first lady Melania Trump’s “Be Best” event.

(TNS) — Farmington High School’s Rogue Robotics team is on a roll.

The media buzz from the team’s Project Cillian — they built a modified wheelchair for a disabled Farmington boy — grew so loud it reached the White House.

Earlier this week, coach Spencer Elvebak got a call from aides organizing first lady Melania Trump’s “Be Best” event, asking if he could come to Washington on Tuesday to be recognized for the project.

Elvebak was floored.

“The kids are all ecstatic about it,” he said.

“I cried,” said Cami Schachtele, 17, who builds field elements for the team’s robot competition. “It’s been a running joke with the team saying, ‘What if we get invited to the White House?’ When they told us we were, it was the most surreal thing.”

Equally stunned is Kynde Zachow-Archibald, 39, of Burnsville. Just four weeks ago she and husband Jeremy Archibald were trying to patch together a wheelchair from a store-bought Power Wheels toy that would allow her 5-year-old son Rocco Zachow-Rodriguez to play in the backyard with his siblings. Rocco was born with a form of dwarfism called Diastrophic dysplasia, a bone and cartilage disorder.

His arms were too short to work a regular Power Wheel car, and his parents weren’t able to modify one for him.

Around that time, Farmington’s robotic team was getting famous. A few TV interviews launched them into the national spotlight. A KARE-TV spot by Boyd Huppert posted on Facebook caught Zachow-Archibald’s attention. Desperate, she posted in the comments about her struggle with Rocco.

“One of the students reached out,” she said. “Now Rocco’s getting a cool chair out of the deal.”

And a trip to the White House where the team will present the chair to Rocco.

“I was blown away when Spencer called,” she said about learning they were invited to Washington. “I would never have imagined that. I was on board immediately.”

Hero Student, Kendrick Castillo, Honored by Student Robotics World

Kendrick Castillo, Senior at the STEM School Highlands Ranch in Colorado, rushed 2 gunmen and  prevented  a widespread mass shooting by giving his classmates time to escape. He was shot and died in the process. The hero student was known for his interest in Engineering and Robotics, being a member of the school's FIRST Robotics Team, IMPULSE (team # 4418). FIRST “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science & Technology”) is the international organization that has popularized Student Robotics globally. Beyond Robotics, its goals focus on student character and professional behavior. Through core values like Gracious Professionalism, FIRST fosters selfless dedication to group effort and community well being.

The tragic but inspiring incident has caught the attention of young people everywhere.

For instance, Gary Israel, Director of the FIRST team titled 2TRAIN ROBOTICS (New York City) sent out the following email to team members and members of the very large community that supports it, this morning:

"It is with great sadness that we have learned that a fellow FIRST student, Kendrick Castillo, was killed in the attack on the STEM School Highlands Ranch this week; his quick action saved lives.  As many of you have probably heard, Kendrick was on a path to pursue his love of mechanical engineering, and he was just days away from graduating. 

Perhaps the best way to remember him is by practicing acts of kindness and to contributing, in any amount, to the memorial fund that his team set up. 

Kendrick was selfless to his last moments, and a true hero."

 
Additional information about team #4418, IMPULSE, Kendrick's team:

- ​About Team STEM IMPULSE / Varsity Robotics http://frc4418.weebly.com/about.htm

More about FIRST Robotics

BRONX Student Robotics Team Honored by Yankees

In my In Box this morning... Sent by Gary Israel, Team Director... 

2 Train Robotics Team Honored by Yankees for Twenty Years

2Train Robotics was on the field before Friday night’s Yankee game in recognition of their 20 years of excellence (Photo: Gary Israel)

by Gary Axelbank and Samuel Allan

May 7, 2019

2Train, a robotics team constituted of New York City high school students that began twenty years ago at Morris high School, was honored at Yankee Stadium Friday night. It was the 18th year in a row that the multi-award-winning team was recognized during pre-game festivities at the stadium.
The ceremony included a video of the team’s highlights over the past year as an announcer detailed their various achievements.

The following afternoon, the team was recognized at a luncheon at Columbia University. The keynote speaker was  Dr. Woodie Flowers, founder of FIRST (For Recognition of Science and Technology) who talked about the importance of inspiration and innovation.

(From Left) Adam Cohen former robotics student and member of the GIMRF (Gary Israel Morris Robotics Foundation) board of directors, First Founder Dr. Woodie Flowers, 2Train Robotics Founder Gary Israel, and long time 2Train mentor Wayne Penn celebrate 20 years of robotics (photo: thisistheBronX)

The event was emceed by thisistheBronX publisher Gary Axelbank.
Check out this incredible list of awards and achievements by this team that was launched two decades ago in the south Bronx

• New Jersey FIRST Regional 2000 Judges Award
• FIRST Robotics Presidential Classroom Scholarship 2000
• NASA / FIRST Robotics Grant 2001
• NASA/ FIRST Robotics Grant 2002
• NASA/VCU South Atlantic FIRST 2003 Robotics Regional Winner
• NASA/VCU South Atlantic FIRST 2003 Imagery Winner
• New York City FIRST 2002 Robotics Xerox Creativity
• New York City FIRST 2003 Robotics Engineering and Inspiration Winner
• New York City FIRST 2004 Robotics Chairman’s Award Winner
• New York City FIRST 2004 Robotics Regional Finalist
• New York City FIRST 2005 Robotics Regional Winner
• New York City FIRST 2005 Judges Award
• New York City FIRST 2006 Robotics Regional Winner
• New York City FIRST 2006 Judges Award
• New York City FIRST 2007 Quarterfinalists
• New York City FIRST 2008 Semifinalists
• New York City FIRST 2008 General Motors Industrial Design Award
• New York City FIRST 2008 FIRST Outstanding Volunteer Award 
• New York City FIRST 2009 Semifinalists
• New York City FIRST 2010 Quarterfinalists
• New York City FIRST 2011 Robotics Regional Winner
• New York City FIRST 2011 Robotics Xerox Creativity
• New York City FIRST 2011 Woodie Flowers Award
• New York City FIRST 2015 Woodie Flowers Award
• New York City FIRST 2017 Woodie Flowers Award
• Pittsburgh FIRST 2005 Robotics Regional Winner
• Pittsburgh FIRST 2005 Judges Award
• Pittsburgh FIRST 2006 Robotics Regional Winner
• Pittsburgh FIRST 2006 Robotics Engineering and Inspiration Winner
• Pittsburgh FIRST 2007 Quarterfinalists
• Florida FIRST 2008 Semifinalists
• Philadelphia FIRST 2009 Robotics Regional Winner
• Philadelphia FIRST 2010 Semifinalists
• Philadelphia FIRST 2011 Quarterfinalists
• Philadelphia FIRST 2011 Team Spirit Award
• FIRST Robotics Championship competition Houston Texas 2003
• FIRST Robotics Championship competition Atlanta Georgia 2004
• FIRST Robotics Championship competition Atlanta Georgia 2005
• FIRST Robotics Championship competition Atlanta Georgia 2006
• FIRST Robotics Championship competition Atlanta Georgia 2007
• FIRST Robotics Championship competition Atlanta Georgia 2008
• FIRST Robotics Championship competition Atlanta Georgia 2009
• FIRST Robotics Championship competition St. Louis 2011

• Tribute March 17, 2003 to the Morris Robotics Team on the Floor of The House of Representatives in Washington D.C
• Bronx Borough proclaims March 26, 2003 Morris High School Robotics Day
• Team Presented with Medal by Secretary Colin L. Powell September 2002
• Robotics team honored on the Floor of the State Assembly in Albany 2003,2004
• The New York Yankees honor the Morris team on the field at Yankee Stadium 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
• The New York Yankees honor the Morris team at the groundbreaking ceremony at the new Yankee Stadium August 2006
• Represented all New York City Robotics teams in the Bronx Day Parade 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011
• Appearances at the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey 2003, 2004
• Saluted on radio as “Hometown Heroes” on WINS 1010 June, 2003

    Featured in a 2003 award winning FIRST Robotics Showtime Documentary
    Top prize at the Bronx Business & Technology Expo 2003
    Featured in a 2004 Documentary on National Cable TECH TV

• Appearance with Dean Kamen at the 2004 Annual New York Times Talk Series

    Appearances on Good Morning America, BronxTalk Prime Time Live, Bronx Talk AM, News 12 Bronxnet, NY 1, Fox News, Telemundo and WNBC
    Articles written about the team in New York Times, Amsterdam News, New York Daily News, Bronx Times, Richmond Times, Uptown Express, Columbia Engineering, United Federation of Teacher’s newspaper, FIRST Robotics Newsletter and Bronx Beat
    Team captain participated in 2003 Antarctica expedition
    Team member selected to participate in 2004 Antarctica expedition
    Team featured in July 2005 article in Popular Mechanics
    Team appears on Telemundo Television program June 2006
    Team appears at Sony Wonder Technology Lab in 2006
    Team participates at the NextFest Conference Javits Center Sept. 2006
    Team captain participated in 2006 Antarctica expedition
    Team participates at Gagetoff at Liberty Science Center Sept. 2007
    Team featured in Imagine it! Documentary 2008
    Team featured in Forbes Magazine article 2009
    Team featured in Popular Science article 2009
    Team featured in Neal Bascomb Book “The New Cool” 2009
    Team appears at Sony Wonder Technology Lab in 2011
    Team featured in NY Daily News article 2011
    Team featured in ESPN the Magazine 2011
    Team appeared on Channel 5 Teen News September 2011
    Team appeared at the NY Maker Faire September 2011
    Team appeared at the NY Maker Faire September 2014
    Team appeared at the NY Maker Faire September 2015
    Team appeared at College Fair Coop City October 2016
    Team appeared at the NY Maker Faire September 2017