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Students
attempt their
own `Mission to Mars' |
Mountain View Middle School students create a Lego
robot that will see additional competition |
By Schellene Clendenin, Newberg
Graphic reporter
E-mail Schellene at sclendenin@eaglenewspapers.com
|
 The goal was deceptively simple.
Create a rover similar to one used by NASA that could launch itself from a
landing pad, work its way over rugged terrain and manipulate objects on the surface of a
planet.
The designers are required to explain how the product was developed and are judged
on the knowledge, teamwork, skills in programming and innovative design needed to create
the rover.
Then the group selects a topic connected to the Mission to Mars project,
researches and presents its design idea and how it relates to the project in a 10-minute
presentation to judges, said coach Kathleen Buck. Afterward the group must answer
questions from the judges about the design.
As part of the Mission from Mars project, the Mountain View Constructors at
Mountain View Middle School created a machine that could meet those goals. In fact, the
group of nine students in grades six through eight placed so high regionally they are
eligible to compete at a state tournament Jan. 17 in Hillsboro.
The designers of the rover discussed methods of propulsion, used terminology
such as hydraulics, pneumatic cylinders and pressure, and considered the speed of the
rover before altering it for efficiency, even though none hold a degree in engineering.
The group of boys, although they rarely stood still, paid close attention to each
suggestion, then would often talk over each other as one idea begat another.
“The more you pump, the more pressure you get,” said Keeton Snyder,
a member of the group. Snyder, with some help from former member Damien Mecham, created
the hydraulic claw the rover used to drop a ball onto a launch pad, as well as pick up
ringed instruments inside an enclosure.
Coach Johnna Hoffner said it was interesting to see the diversity of design
from each team that entered the tournament. Her son, Ryan, is a member of the club.
Hoffner said no two rovers were the same and that each team had unique
methods for meeting the challenge course set up by the Oregon Robotics Tournament and
Outreach Program, or ORTOP.
“In our team we did well with each child dominant in one area,” Buck
said. “They built off each other and gained ideas from one another, but everyone
worked together and responsibilities were split between team members.”
The students designed the rover with interchangeable wheels that could be
popped on and off easily for the challenge course. Black plastic wires snaked from one
side of the rover to the other.
Snyder suggested placing a sensor on the claw to prevent it from opening too
wide and taking up too much time. He also pointed out the possibility of making the claw
turn from side to side, if needed.
ORTOP was created to establish an interest in children in the profession of
engineering. The program, which has been established in both Oregon and parts of
Washington, is a method by which kids aged 9 through 14, can learn engineering uses and
terminology in a challenging environment.
Members from this program are eligible to move onto the robotics program at
Newberg High School. The NHS program, Buck said, has placed high in national competitions
over the last decade and students involved in the program are often recruited by colleges
and offered scholarships.
To set up the teams and pay for entry fees to the contests, the group applied
for a grant from the Newberg Rotary Club for $750. The grant covered expenses for three
teams, she said. The Mabel Rush Lunar-tics will also advance to the state contest Jan. 17.
“Like so many parts of the project, we designed two ideas then tried
both out and picked the one that worked best,” Buck said. “One of the most
exciting (aspects of the work) is someone will have an idea on design and someone else
will add to the idea.”
Of the more than 250 teams that entered regional competitions statewide,
Intel awarded the constructors with a trophy for second place overall in the region. Buck
said the award means the team scored high in all categories. Only 80 teams made it to
state competition. |
|
From Dec. 24,
2003, Newberg Graphic
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