LANCASTER – Robotics teams from all over the Antelope Valley came together last week to participate in a week-long robotics day camp. The event, sponsored by NASA and Lockheed Martin, included engineering activities and a robotics competition.
Each day, students from Westside, Eastside, Lancaster, and the high school district came together for an interactive workshop by local aerospace companies.
After the workshops, the students worked in groups to build robots that they would use to compete in games at the end of the week. Each group was comprised of students from various schools, and was mentored by members of local high school robotics teams, such as the Lancaster Eagles and AV Robolopes.
This year’s game was called Moon Rock Rumble. The object of the game was to use remote controlled robots to stack red and blue plastic rings on poles. The students had two and a half minutes to stack as many rings as possible. The game was an excellent chance to see if the student’s designs worked, and many did.
The high school mentors had an interesting experience teaching the younger students how to design and build a successful robot.
“The most difficult part as a student mentor was harnessing all of the kids’ energy and enthusiasm and redirecting that towards working together as a team,” said Gabe Ruiz, co-manager of Lancaster High School robotics team.
One of the most difficult parts of the day camp was learning how to work as a team.
For many students, this was their first time working cooperatively. In the end, the students learned they need to work together to succeed.
This event was an excellent introduction to what has long been an important industry in the Antelope Valley.
In a very real sense, the time spent at this day camp was an investment in our community’s future.
(Contributing writer Jennifer Patton is a Lancaster High School student who was selected to be the Public Relations Representative of this event.)
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