USNA News Article

USNA to Host Robotics Tournament

Jan 6, 2012

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Danian Douglas, U.S. Navval Acadey Public Affair

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (NNS) -- High school students throughout Maryland will participate in a statewide robotics qualifying tournament at the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) Jan. 14, where they will display their prototypes and battle for the chance to compete in the state championship.

The participants will divide into 18 teams with 6-10 students per team and will be responsible for designing, implementing and programming their own robots to participate in various challenges that will determine the winner. Each team will be required to have at least one adult for safety supervision.

Midshipmen with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) will provide mentorship and technical guidance throughout the competition.

Capt. Kevin Rudd, assistant professor in USNA's electrical and computer engineering department and key facilitator of the event, said that the competition is an excellent opportunity for young students to learn about these fields of study.

“It reaches out to people who wouldn't even have considered a STEM program before, and what you find is that they see these technical fields in a nonacademic setting,” said Rudd. “It starts with Legos and then transitions into more challenging projects. They see that through their efforts they can both have fun and solve problems.”

With the increasing emphasis on robotic technology in both military and civilian operations, such as sending a robot into a tunnel for a military mission or to find trapped miners, understanding the technology is necessary to create a better world, said Rudd. He also highlighted two main benefits that these programs have for today's youth, whether they are focused on STEM or not.

“You end up with educated people,” Rudd said. “Some discover that they are good at it or get excited about the field, and they do choose a STEM career. Those who choose other fields will still be able to appreciate the value it provides when they're voting on, investing in, purchasing or recommending something in the future.”

To learn more about USNA's STEM program, visit www.facebook.com/USNASTEM.