Popular WHS class requires students to design, build and program a robot

The future of automation is being explored at Weiser High School. Robots are the focus of an elective class taught by Jon Lundberg. 

 This is Lundberg’s seventh year of having a class solely focused on robotics. There are no prerequisites for the class, so students can join any year and even take it all four years. 

 “I have a bunch of really nice kids who are working hard to design, build, program and then compete with their robot,” Lundberg said of the students that are in his class this year.

 The class is based through VEX Robotics, a worldwide organization that has activities for middle school, high school, and college level students in over 45 countries. Robotics puts STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) skills to the test while teaching life-long lessons.

 Every year a different game is assigned through VEX, and the teams bring a robot from concept to working order. Weiser is hosting six teams this year, with three to four kids on a team. 

 Some of the tasks the students must have their robot complete are: Have their robot pick up a 10-inch disk, flip it to the correct colored side, and then place the disk on a pole; shoot plastic balls at a target; climb to the top of three separate platforms and have a king of the mountain fight on the top of the final platform. 

 Not only do the robots complete tasks, but the students must go before a panel of judges and be interviewed about their robot as part of the competition. 

 Lundberg said out of his seven years of teaching this class, this year’s tasks may be the toughest yet. 

 All the teams must build with VEX parts. Additional parts can be purchased if a school desires. Students start from the ground up in designing their robot. Framework, wheel or track movement, all of it is designed by the student team. They also have to master the programming software used.

 The first competition of this year was on Nov. 9 at Wood River High School, located in Hailey. Three Weiser teams were able to compete. Weiser did not take a medal, but it was a good beginning experience. 

 This year’s robotics team is younger, and most students were able to go to the competition to learn what is expected from competitors. The most recent competition was Dec. 14 at Ridgevue High School. There are about five to six competitions a school year, and then a final state competition. Participants hope to do well enough at state to earn a place in the VEX Robotics World Championship in April.

 Last year, one Weiser team earned the right to represent the Wolverines at the Worlds competition, which took place in Kentucky. The team consisted of Max Dahler, Chris Thien, Braden Salove-Hale, and Brenden Hubele. 

 They were one of four teams that represented Idaho, and earned their spot through their skills score at competitions. There were about 500 robots in the competition at Worlds, which is about 5 percent of robots that start the competition year. The Weiser team finished about middle of the pack. 

 Thien is a junior this year, and is hoping to make it to Worlds again. Speaking on the class, Thien thinks that it teaches good teamwork. He is looking at an auto mechanic career, and feels the class and competition is teaching him good problem solving and investigational skills.

 “It was awesome, a great experience (Worlds). The game this year is a lot tougher. Last year we had to pick up cones and stack them. This year there is so much more to do,” Thien stated.

 In past years, the Gear-Up Program has helped fund the robotics class, but since it has moved down to the middle school level. The students will have to do more fundraising to help pay entry fees and travel costs. Last year, the World’s team sold Ridley’s gift cards, and students in the class took turns selling concessions at various sporting events.

 If robotics is something that a student wants to continue with, different colleges offer various activities. Boise State University has a couple robotics courses, one available to freshmen, as well as a mechatronics class taught during some semesters.  

 They have had robotics clubs in the past, but none active right now.  They are also hoping to start organizing robotics competitions in collaboration with NeXCoBoT.