The Evolution of Robots

Robots are no longer science fiction. Today, these machines cook food in restaurants, assist people with disabilities, and provide companionship. They go places and do things we can’t; for example, entering disaster zones like the one in Fukushima, Japan, where a nuclear power plant exploded in 2011, releasing dangerous levels of radiation. Robots continue to evolve as engineers create models to tackle almost any task (see Today’s Robots).  

Robots are no longer science fiction. Today, these machines cook food in restaurants, help people with disabilities, and provide companionship. They go places and do things we can’t. For example, a nuclear power plant exploded in Fukushima, Japan, in 2011. It released radiation levels that were dangerous for humans. Robots entered the disaster zone. These machines continue to change as engineers create robots to tackle almost any job (see Today’s Robots).

When it comes to advancing the field of robotics, teens are leading the way. Each year, teams of high school students compete using robots they design, program, and build themselves as part of the FIRST Robotics program. FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.” 

The program’s biggest competition is the FIRST Championship. This year, it took place at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri. More than 40,000 people packed the stadium to watch as 600 of the top high school robotics teams from around the world went head-to-head. Someday, many of these students will lead the robotics revolution, engineering nimbler, stronger, and more independent machines than ever before.

The field of robotics is advancing, and teens are leading the way. Teams of high school students compete using robots each year. They design, program, and build the robots themselves as part of the FIRST Robotics program. FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.”

The program’s biggest competition is the FIRST Championship. This year, it took place at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri. More than 40,000 people packed the stadium. They watched 600 of the top high school robotics teams from around the world go head-to-head. Someday, many of these students will lead the robotics revolution. They’ll create machines that are quicker, stronger, and more independent than ever before.

The FIRST Championship is like a sporting event, except with games played by robots instead of human athletes. Each year, students and their bots must complete a different task. The 2016 challenge was dubbed “FIRST STRONGHOLD” (see Storming the Castle). It required an alliance of four randomly paired teams, working together to beat another alliance. The goal: to use their robots to capture their opponent’s castle. 

For the first 15 seconds of the competition, robots operated autonomously. The bots had to overcome their opponents’ defenses, such as a moat or drawbridge, on their own. The teams scored points if their robots were successful.

The FIRST Championship is like a sporting event. But the games are played by robots, not human athletes. Each year, students and their bots must complete a different task. The 2016 challenge was called “FIRST STRONGHOLD” (see Storming the Castle). Four different teams were picked randomly to form an alliance. They worked together to beat another alliance. The goal: to use their robots to capture their opponent’s castle.

For the first 15 seconds, the robots were on their own. They had to work autonomously, without help. The robots tried to get past their opponent’s defenses, such as a moat or a drawbridge. The teams scored points if their robots made it through.

During the remaining 2 minutes and 15 seconds, students took control of their bots. They guided the machines to shoot “boulders” (volleyball-sized foam balls) through goals in their opponents’ tower. When an alliance scored 10 shots, the castle’s flag went down. The robots then surrounded the castle to capture it or pulled themselves up on rungs to scale the tower. These tasks racked up additional points. The alliance that earned the most points advanced in the competition.

“We have a Super Bowl for football and the Golden Globes for Hollywood, but where is that kind of celebration for math and science?” says inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST’s founder. “So we made FIRST a sporting event, something where the winners aren’t given a grade on a quiz but are celebrated in a big way.”

For the next 2 minutes and 15 seconds, the students controlled their bots. The machines shot “boulders” (volley-ball size foam balls) through goals in their opponent’s tower. When they made 10 shots, the castle’s flag went down. The robots moved in. They surrounded the castle to capture it, or they pulled themselves up on rungs to climb the tower. These tasks earned them more points. The alliance with the most points moved on in the competition.

“We have a Super Bowl for football and the Golden Globes for Hollywood, but where is that kind of celebration for math and science?” says Dean Kamen. He’s the inventor who founded FIRST. “So we made FIRST a sporting event, something where the winners aren’t given a grade on a quiz but are celebrated in a big way.”

When the FIRST STRONGHOLD challenge was announced, teams had six weeks to build their robots. The Nutrons, a team of 50 students from five Boston-area high schools, gathered to discuss strategy. Then they divided into small groups to focus on specifics, like electrical and mechanical engineering. 

The Nutrons’ lead programmer, Camilo Gonzalez, had to write the code, or computer instructions, so the robot could accurately shoot balls into goals. “Throwing a ball in a small hole is hard to do manually, so we wanted to automate it,” says Camilo.  

When teams learned about the FIRST STRONGHOLD challenge, they had six weeks to build their robots. The Nutrons were a team of 50 students from five Boston-area high schools. They got together to plan. Then they divided into small groups to work on parts of the problem, like electrical or mechanical engineering.

Camilo Gonzalez was the Nutrons’ lead programmer. He had to write the code. These computer instructions would tell the robot how to shoot balls into goals. “Throwing a ball in a small hole is hard to do manually, so we wanted to automate it,” says Camilo.  

To do that, the team attached a green light to the robot to shine on reflective tape inside the goals. The light bounces back to the robot, which allows it to calculate the angle to throw the ball and make a successful shot. It scores more than 90 percent of the time. Their strategy worked: The Nutrons advanced to the championship in St. Louis.

To do that, the team put a green light on the robot. The light shines on reflective tape inside the goals and bounces back. The robot uses the light to figure out the angle it needs to throw the ball to make a goal. It scores more than 90 percent of the time. Their idea worked. The Nutrons moved on to the championship in St. Louis.