FA ACADEMICS
FA Robotics: The Intersection of
Student Problem-Solving & Collaboration BY LAURA AYER DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
FA robotics advisor and technology instructor David Sartory shows Egemen Sari ’24 possible parts to use in the construction of the team’s robot.
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s most educators and many observers know, the pendulum swings quite often in education—often influenced by the prevailing political movement reforms of the time. And like other instructional shifts of the past, the emergence of STEM education is no different. Our country’s call to arms to enter the 20th century’s “Technology Revolution” emerged hot-off-the-heels of the 1990s and 2000s Tech Boom and emboldened by President Barack Obama’s 2011 State of the Union address that proclaimed, “This is our generation’s Sputnik moment.” (Gunn, 2020) In the decades that followed, the advent of new technologies, science, and research have brought about rapid evolution in the educational landscape and world infrastructure. The only other era characterized by such swift, dramatic impact is the 18th century, which saw the launch of the Industrial Revolution.
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As early as 1948, the field of robotics appeared with the invention of Elmer and Elsie by British robotics pioneer William Grey Walter. These tortoise-shaped robots mimicked lifelike behavior using elementary electronics and were programmed to find their charging stations when low in power. In 1954, the first digitally operated and a programmable robot called Unamite was invented by George Devol. Two years later, the world’s first robot company was formed by Devol and his partner Joseph Engelberger. And, by 1961, the first industrial robot, Unimate, went online in a General Motors automobile factory in New Jersey. (Bellis, 2019) Today, robotics is used in almost every industry ranging from health care and agriculture to manufacturing and the military. Robotics in these industries have improved production speed, reduced human errors, and helped to mitigate accidents. With
