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While most kids dreamed of having a robot to clean their room for them, only a select few saw the realization of that dream.
Shoppers at University Mall witnessed a unique show of skills by 12 high school students Friday who attempted to use robots they created to clean a messy bedroom.
The competition was the final event of a weeklong robotics camp at SIUC where students learned how to build and program robots to perform tasks using sensors and remote controls.
"They used their knowledge of electrical systems and technical programming to build these robots," camp director Martin Hebel said. "The competition was to see who could pick them up the quickest, but they also got points if their bot could put the clothes into a basket instead of a pile or if they used sensors."
Hebel, an assistant professor in the school of information systems and applied technology, praised the students for their skills and said he wished he had more time to teach them about sensors.
"In the future, we'd like to make it a residence camp," assistant counselor Ed Callico said. "That way we could work four more hours after supper instead of running from 8 a.m. and having to stop at 4:30 p.m."
Callico, a former high school industrial technology teacher, said the extra time would allow students more educational time in addition to all of the hands-on experience that the camp provides.
Each robot costs about $600, but parts are reused each year to keep costs down. Students pay $275 each, but fee waivers and discounts are available. Students obtained discounts by volunteering at the junior high level robotics camp.
Events like this camp are geared toward preparing students for national robotics events such as the FIRST Vex robotics competition and the Boost Engineering competition.
"We designed Friday's competition like one of the ones used in FIRST Vex," Callico said. "They offer something like $5.5 million in scholarship money to their competitors. This type of stuff helps to level the playing field for students who aren't getting athletics scholarships."
Dean Kamen, the founder of FIRST, is more widely known as the inventor of the Segway and a special dialysis machine. FIRST - For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology - was founded in 1989 specifically to help young people discover the rewards of science and technology.
"At the national competitions, part of the score is presentation and answering questions," Callico said. "Therefore, students aren't just learning physics and electronics, they're being prepared for all aspects of high school and possibly their future career."
Daily Egyptian writer Brandy Oxford can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 255 or boxford@siu.edu.
