HCC STEM Summer Camp students immerse in world of robotics
Jul 30, 2015
Certain jobs in demand today might not exist 10 years from now. Technology is growing and evolving so fast, students need to prepare for jobs that have yet to be invented. Houston Community College Governors Merit STEM Summer Program students did just that. They spent the day building and programming Lego robots. By learning how robots are built and programmed, students learn the basic language that current technology is built upon and its potential growth.
“The future is now,” said Stephanie Witherspoon, a robotics and engineering teacher at Waltrip High School. “Robotics is replacing the boring, repetitive and dangerous jobs that we don’t want to do. In its place, it is creating new, high-tech jobs. It is not taking our jobs. It is just making our jobs better.”
Abeer Asad, a sophomore at Iman Academy, is no stranger to robotics. She’s built many robots as a member of the school robotics team. Asad plans to use her robotics knowledge and apply it to a future in biomedical engineering.
“We built functioning robots with robotic arms that could throw object,” Asad said. “It’s really interesting learning how to program the robots.”
These students understand how essential it is to learn this hands-on technology as they head into an age where robotics and technology jobs are emerging everyday.
“Building robots is my favorite part of the whole camp,” said Zak Pham, an eighth-grader at Pin Oak Middle School. “I really like designing and building new products. Being able to program and use them to function is so interesting.”
The students programmed their robots using Labview, a programming language used by the gaming industry. Witherspoon advises anyone interested in entering the robotics world to start right away.
“Do it now, and don’t be afraid. Get online, on Scratch, SketchUp and AutoCAD,” Witherspoon said. “Start teaching yourself the basics of programming and computer aided drafting (CAD) now. You will struggle, but robotics is an open-ended education at its best. There are so many solutions to a single problem.”
Understanding how technology works is essential to STEM related careers. By grasping how the robots are made and programmed, students can better prepare themselves for whatever new technology may come.
Check back on hccs.edu to find out information on how to register for the next HCC STEM Summer Camp. Contact Athena Walker at athena.walker@hccs.edu.