Robotics club puts skills into practice | News
by ALEXANDRA RETTER
The high school students took careful aim, trying to fire orange rings into a target about six feet above the ground. The students, on Winona Senior High School’s (WSHS) robotics team, built, painted, tested and competed with a robot, and their goal was for the robot to do various tasks with the orange rings — from firing them to dropping them down into a vertical hole — to score points.
“The wiring is kind of amazing, because it goes from this inanimate object just sitting there, but once you wire it up and get the programming done, then it’s alive,” senior Jakob Yearous said.
“It’s really just a great thing to see it come to life and your efforts create something that actually works,” junior Ivy Stout-Wright said.
Stout-Wright worked on programming the robot and doing some 3D modeling. “For programming, I have sunk so many hours in, just trying to figure things out. And when I finally do figure something out … it’s a really great feeling …”
Freshmen David Yearous and Maeley Palmer helped with wiring. “And I generally just have had so much fun in the short time I’ve been here,” Palmer said. “I just would’ve never thought I would’ve gotten to wire stuff a little bit …” She later added, “You don’t get to do that or learn something like that in most of these classes …”
Jakob Yearous worked on cutting parts for the robot and putting them together to build the robot. He appreciated having the opportunity to use power tools he doesn’t have at home. He and Stout-Wright agreed that using a plasma cutter to quickly make parts out of steel instead of wood was a great experience. Students also did some CAD (computer aided design) work. “I’ve dinked around with 3D printing a bit at home, but moving into more powerful CAD software … has been helpful to give you a better idea of how these things work, and it’s how stuff works in the real world,” Jakob Yearous said. “I can’t always just cut a piece that I think is about the right length and hammer it in place and call it good. Sometimes, you actually have to model things up …”
The students agreed that they’re learning skills they can apply in the future. “I knew nothing about wiring before joining, and I know actually quite a bit now,” Stout-Wright said. Jakob Yearous said he’s learned a great deal about fabrication in general. “I’ve spent some time in the shop with my dad, learning stuff and doing basic DIY stuff, but … getting to work with a lot of different metals and working with all sorts of different materials has been fun,” he said.
The team is exceptionally proud of its growth and improvement from last year. “I’ve learned a lot about teamwork,” Stout-Wright said. “This whole team just works together so well.”
“I’ve had the chance to work on leadership skills,” Jakob Yearous said.
“There’s definitely a lot of hard work,” Palmer said. “You have to be dedicated, and there has to be a goal. But all the hard work does pay off.”
Being part of the robotics team helped inspire Jakob Yearous to pursue engineering. He plans to study mechanical engineering in college. “And robotics actually solidified my love for mechanical engineering,” he said. Stout-Wright will also apply skills learned from the robotics team while studying automotive mechanics. Palmer has a few years left at the high school and is eager to continue with robotics. “I’m definitely joining again next year,” she said.
