[book id=” /]      Passing exercise balls, throwing frisbees, and playing basketball appear to be simple enough, but designing and building a robot to accomplish these tasks takes immense time and effort.

The Technology Club creates a robot with the goal of completing a specific task each year in order to compete in the annual For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics competition. Their work for this competition began on January 4 and will continue until the robot is completed in April, with after school meetings everyday and a meeting every Saturday.

“The biggest thing is the FIRST Robotics Competition where we build a robot designed to compete in a certain challenge each year,” Vesto said. “This year the robot has to pass exercise balls of a two foot diameter. At the end, it [has to] launch the balls up into a goal.”

This robot will be built over a six week period until it is prepared to conquer this challenge. The Technology Club team has an organized construction process to do so.

“We typically start by trying to come up with a strategy and brainstorming,” Vesto said. “Then, there is a software we use to mock up a 3D model of the robot. After that, we get started with separate teams working on [different things]. Last, we package up the final robot for competition and [work with] the practice robot.”

According to Vesto, there are three teams. One is mechanical, whose job is to build the robot, its chassis (frame and wheels that support the robot), and install its motor gear. The electronic team sets up the robot’s electronics and creates the program that instructs the robot’s actions. Finally, the strategy team devises ways to use the robot and evaluate other robots at competitions.

The fact that the average robot this teams work to build costs $3,000 to $5,000. Because of the cost, sponsors and mentors are needed. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NGC) is one of the club’s major sponsors, and their employee John Solarz is also a mentor.

“Northrop has a contributions program for helping schools with their STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) initiatives,” Solarz said. “Technology Club fits in that category, so it made sense to help the tech program.”

NGC helps the program by donating money to support Technology Club and Solarz donates his time. During the FIRST Robotics Competition season, Solarz comes to the club’s meetings for about 15 to 16 hours per week.

“I advise them on safety, manufacturing aspects, engineering ideas, and how to execute programs,” Solarz said. “I make sure things get done in a timely, under budget manner, and help to teach students the skills to achieve their goals.”

John Keyzer, Technology Education teacher and head of Technology Club, is also committed to helping the club. The commitment of teachers and mentors does not go unappreciated by the Technology Club members. Vesto said that working with and learning from mentors is one of his favorite parts of the club. And the combined work of the students, mentors, and Keyzer pays off because according to Vesto, the team is successful in competition.

“We’re one of the stronger teams, and we usually make it into the finals,” Vesto said. “We’re a very reliable team. We build strong robots that are able to complete tasks well.”

This general success is not what inspired Vesto to join Technology Club, instead it was his passion for robotics.

“I’ve been interested in robots since I was a kid. I always watched robot competitions on television,” Vesto said. “It was a dream come true when I got to high school and got to be a part of [Technology Club].”

Solarz was inspired to sponsor and mentor Technology Club because of family connections.

“My son was one of the first students in Technology Club, so I tried to help it get started,” Solarz said. “I reached out to my company to see if we could do something.”

That was seven years ago, and Solarz and NGC have continued to sponsor the club. Solarz stated that the competitions are his favorite part of Technology Club, specifically “the heat of the battle.” Vesto agrees.

“It’s a lot of fun at competitions actually seeing the robot you built compete; it’s a very proud thing.” Vesto said, and went on to discuss the benefits of the club for students. “It’s a time commitment but well worth it. You get great skills for engineering, science, and even English. It’s a great club for academics.”

Solarz added that students “are exposed to a variety of technology, engineering, mathematics, and physics along with working with high-tech tools and getting exposure to solving complex problems in a very short period of time.”

These testimonials correspond with the statement on FIRST Robotics’ website: “Teams win recognition, gain self confidence, develop people and life skills, make new friends, and perhaps discover an unforeseen career path.”