First STEM team sponsored by AEDC and ATA headed to FIRST Tech World Championships visits Arnold AFB

  • Published
  • By Philip Lorenz III
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  When a high school robotics team recently visited AEDC's Fitness Center to share their experiences and demonstrate the technology they have learned to master, Jere Matty, AEDC's Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) educational and outreach coordinator, was thrilled.

Team R.P.G (Robot Programming Guild), comprised of students from several local high schools and sponsored by ATA and AEDC, recently became the first local group to earn a spot in the FIRST Tech World Championship taking place in St. Louis, Mo., April 24 through 17.

Matty invited Team R.P.G. to AEDC's Fitness Center earlier in April to demonstrate their award-winning robot and explain the complicated rules of the competition they had to tackle in their earlier local competitions. Matty, AEDC Commander Col. Raymond Toth and a group of young people attended the demonstration on base.

"Part of being a FIRST Tech Challenge Team (FTC) involves 'evangelization' of the fun of robotics, especially presentations to younger teams like Jr. Lego League and Lego League," he said. "That's why the young folks were present as they will soon be old enough to be an FTC Team."

Team R.P.G. members, including Joshua Garnto, Josh Freiberger, Ryan Baxter, Chance Ferguson, coach Mark Ferguson and Kimberly Ferguson, the team's mentor and organizer showed videos of their prior competitions and demonstrated their award-winning robot to Matty, AEDC Commander Col. Raymond Toth and to a group of young people.

Mark Ferguson said Team R.P.G. presented an excellent demonstration.

"They demonstrated their ability to learn complex problem solving and teamwork," he said. "They have demonstrated their ability to share what they have learned and help others in the process. They demonstrated how their robot operated and how it was constructed, including their Mecanum wheel design."

The Mecanum wheel is a design for a wheel which can move in any direction.

It was this wheel design that earned Team R.P.G. the Rockwell Innovate Award at the FIRST Tech Challenge in Owensboro, Ky.

Team R.P.G. dressed in medieval garb for the demonstration at AEDC, acknowledging that their team employs aspects of a role-playing game.

Mark said the team's recent demonstration at AEDC also served another important purpose.

"A local FIRST Lego League team was present and enjoyed seeing the hard work team R.P.G. had put into their robot," he said. "Their presence is important to our team as they wish to inspire others to join First Tech Challenge so the sport will continue to be a great success for young people around the world.

"The team recognizes the commitment, and time, that must be given in order to be successful in this sport and their future careers. They feel that sharing their experiences will help other young people to make the leap into STEM."

Mark added, "The team recognizes there are many supporters who see what they are doing to be important, not just to them individually but to their community and their country as a whole. Everyone benefits as our youth hold the keys to the future - the more we can encourage our youth to participate in STEM the better our world will be for everyone."