CCAISD Senior Damian Tarango receives guidance from Blue Origin’s Keith Miller and Troy Milton.
Photo by Edna Clark
By Edna Clark
Good times are on the way for the Van Horn High School Robotics Team as some enterprising young men and a young lady prepare for upcoming Robotics competitions. Their first competition is scheduled in Lubbock, Texas, on March 2-4 in the Hub City Regional meet.
Robotics Team Sponsor Adrian Norman is excited to have this year’s team hit the competition road. The team consists of Mr. Norman, Mechanical Builders Damian Tarango and Roman Rocha; Computer Programmers JC Clark, Hays Morriss, and Alan Zamudio; Lead Electrician Ryan Corralez; Electrician Steven Urias; and Electrician Assistant Ruby Ontiveros.
The 2017 robot which the students are constructing will measure 36” x 40” x 24” in size and focus on gears for movement of the unit. Eventually, the robot will ascend a rope using its own power which will be something to see.
The creation, from the base up, will be quite a journey to watch. Guiding the journey are Blue Origin Integration Engineers Keith Miller and Troy Milton. These kind men volunteer their time and knowledge to help the Robotics Team Builders and Electricians. Watching the men teach the use of electrical tools for exact measurement, cutting, and placement was a treat for this writer.
Additionally, a Blue Origin computer programmer specialist will be working with the Robotics Team programmers to write and implement the programs which will make the robot move on its own power. The ability to write and implement computer programs is the wave of our future and can very well be the foundation for a successful career for team members JC, Hays, and Alan.
The 2017 First Steamworks Robotics Competition robots can be viewed on You Tube. The robots’ ability is truly something.
Knowing that our young people will gain the ability and knowledge to compete in a worldwide market lends appreciation to the Blue Origin experts and the First Company even more.
