Students installing a pulse-width-modulated speed controller used to control the speed of the motors on a test robot chassis.
According to an independent Brandeis University study, highschool-aged participants in FIRST, when compared with their similarly talented peer groups, are more than three times as likely to major in engineering; roughly ten times as likely to have an apprenticeship, internship, or co-op job in their freshman year; twice as likely to pursue a career in science and technology; and twice as likely to volunteer in their communities.
this year, but every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, the students got together for hours—sometimes staying until the early morning hours on weekends—to bring Marvin V to life. “Our robot is awesome,” she said. “It’s competing better than most robots there. It is a huge challenge, but it was really, really exciting.” This year’s task was to design and build a robot that would shoot basketballs to consistently go through a hoop. Everybody had a part in building the robot, but not in the same way. Some drew plans; others worked construction in a room at the WVU Department of Physics. Some programmed the robot to move, including using Kinect technology to move Marvin on the court. Others raised thousands of dollars to take the team to competitions and worked with sponsors. Still others like DeMicco handled publicity, steered the team’s educational efforts, and ultimately helped win the team the highest award possible at the regional competition in Raleigh, North Carolina— the Regional Chairman’s Award. This award speaks to how well the team keeps program
eberly.wvu.edu eberly.wvu.edu FALL FALL 2 0 1220 139 2
39