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News Release 07-120

Can a Robot Get High School Students Interested in Studying Science and Engineering in College?

A team from the University of Pennsylvania has found the answer is 'yes,' if the students design and build the robot themselves

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Four examples of students' robots, built on remote control truck platforms.

Students at the Summer Academy of Applied Science and Technology (SAAST), a project of the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, spent three weeks learning about the science behind robots, as well as how to build them. These are four examples of the student's robots as they prepared to take the field for an obstacle-course competition.

Credit: David J Cappelleri , Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania


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Three photos of SAAST student-built robot picking up a stack of hockey pucks in a sequence.

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After three weeks of learning about robots and how to build them, student teams put their creations to the test by guiding their robots through a challenging obstacle course. The students guided their robots from a room inside the building using the robots' cameras and sensors to guide them. (Note: This video has no audio portion)

Credit: David J Cappelleri , Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania

 

Student working on robot

For three weeks, SAAST combined intensive lectures, lab work, field trips, and building time to give students a more complete idea of how robots are designed and built.

Credit: David J Cappelleri , Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania


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