AFCEC engineers introduce students to robotics

  • Published
  • By Jessica Echerri
  • AFCEC Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Air Force Civil Engineer Center engineers and technicians visited Everitt Middle School in Panama City, Florida, April 9, to teach students about careers in robotics as part of National Robotics Week.

Technical Sgt. Benjamin Wilhelm and Staff Sgt. Micah Price, explosive ordnance disposal technicians with the 823rd RED HORSE Squadron at Tyndall's Silver Flag Exercise Site, and Jessica Mason, a mechanical engineer in AFCEC's Readiness Directorate at Tyndall, demonstrated the use of three small robots used for Air Force rescue missions: a Recon Scout Throw-bot, a small unmanned ground vehicle-310 and a micro tactical ground robot. They also answered questions about working in a science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, field.

"It's important to teach these kids about this technology because it's changing all of the time," said Jennifer Petro, a science teacher at Everitt Middle School. "I think, sometimes, not enough importance is given to technology in these kinds of applications. The kids need to see the connections between what they're doing at home and at school, and what is happening in the real world."

The students had the opportunity to see the robot perform and control it themselves. Mason also answered their questions about working as a mechanical engineer and what it took to get there.

"I've never thought about a job with robots before," said Cheyenne Rhodes, an Everitt seventh grader. "I liked seeing it here and I liked playing with the robots. I really want to be able to do it again someday."

The school was recently awarded a Department of Defense grant to enhance its STEM program, to include the addition of an after-school program that coaches students to compete in the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science Technology, or FIRST, LEGO League. The FLL is an international league for children ages 9 to 14 in which team members compete in tournaments by programming a robot and creating solutions to a society problem, which they identify, using STEM principles.

National Robotics Week was established by Congress in 2009 to raise awareness about America's leading role in the robotics industry and educate students about STEM careers.