Children compete in robotics challenge

Columbia kids displayed their Lego robot and engineering skills.

By Ryan Martin

Published March 11, 2008

Sixth graders Chris Eubank and Michael Pellham kneeled beside each other, watching their crafted robot navigate through a maze and up a ramp until it toppled lifelessly off the edge.

Their robot did not complete every challenge on its first try.

They weren’t ready to give up. Chris, Michael and their Grain Valley Middle School classmates traveled two hours to Engineering Building West to make it to the MU Robotics Challenge.

At the event, 25 teams from eight different elementary and middle schools created LEGO RCX and NXT robots to compete against each other in a designed challenge course.

On their sixth try, their NXT robot finally completed every challenge, stopping at the challenge course’s final wall and letting out a victory beep.

A celebratory Chris attributed their success to their dedication to the project.

“We just got down to business,” Chris said. “We didn’t goof around.”

The challenge courses were crafted from two-by-fours and plywood.

The robots had to make four turns through a maze using timing mechanisms or touch sensors.

After the maze, the robots had to use light sensors. These sensors read a strip of black tape that led up the ramp and into the final wall.

Participators programmed the sensors and timing mechanisms into the robots before the competition began. Most students have been working on their robots in after-school clubs since October.

The teams were given points based on what tasks were completed.

They had seven minutes to complete the tasks.

After the teams were finished with the challenge course, they met programming judges to discuss their programming creation and possible improvements.

They also received points for the programs they wrote.

Chris and Michael were the only ones to complete every task and get full points.

Ben Bergstrom, a seventh grader at Lange Middle School in Columbia, wasn’t as fortunate with his robot. His RCX model couldn’t make it up the ramp.

“We did good with what he had going for us,” Ben said, noting that RCX is an older and more complex model.

Doctoral student Jon Ball, one of the event’s organizers, said the event is less about winning and more about introducing engineering skills to the community at a young age.

Imani Mission Center Outreach Coordinator Glen Cobbins said he was happy just seeing so many youths involved in the education process.

The Mission Center is a Columbia area after-school program that brought five students to the event.

Cobbins commended the University for allowing the young students to participate in this event.

“Some of these kids would never get to see a university, but they get to see that education is important,” Cobbins said.

The event was hosted by the MU InSITE Team, which is made up of fellows and local teachers, among others.

The event was funded by a National Science Foundation grant.

The grant allowed the team to fund the purchase of the robots and software for each participating school.

InSITE Project Manager Ashwin Mohan said the event is beneficial to the doctoral students involved because it allows them to learn how to create lesson plans on engineering.

The participating teachers benefit from the engineering experience, Mohan said.

One robot kit for each team costs about $300 and the software for an entire school costs about $200, Mohan said.