Alamo Community Colleges News & Events

Robotics Competition at SAC Fuels EDGE Students' Interest in Engineering

For Immediate Release
July 5, 2007
Contact: John Hammond, Director of Public Relations, San Antonio College
210/733-2147
jhammond@accd.edu

Pictured are two of the seven teams of four high school students who participated in robotics competitions, as a part of San Antonio College's eight-week summer EDGE (Early Development of General Engineering) Program. In the SAC Grand Prix Race, students had to program their robot to race along an "S" shape, the winner staying on track and arriving in the fastest time. The Automated Vehicle Parking Competition had students parking a robot in the new SAC Parking Garage while avoiding obstacles and requiring the vehicle to make noises or speak appropriate words as it turned. The EDGE program, directed by Dr. Dan Dimitriu, is designed for high school students 10th-12th grades who are interested in science and math. The program serves as a bridge to college for students, who can earn five college credits toward an Associates degree from San Antonio College or to transfer toward a Bachelor's degree. Photos by Leonard Ziegler

Twenty-eight high school students (10th - 12th grades) who are participating in San Antonio College's summer EDGE program (Early Development of General Engineering) got a chance to apply their newly acquired engineering skills in two robotics competitions today. With seven teams of four students each, the students assembled and programmed Lego Mindstorms® NXT robots to follow strict competition guidelines.

In the SAC Grand Prix Race, teams had to program their robots to follow an "S" curve track as fast as possible without going off course. The following Rebels team members, identified by their high schools, won this competition: Joe Chen (Madison), Leona Hudspeth (Roosevelt), Pedro Leal (Roosevelt), and Pamela Ramon (Stevens).

The Automated Parking Competition required teams to park their robotic vehicle as precisely and quickly as possible in a "designated VIP space" in the "new SAC Parking Garage," while using unique tones or words to announce each turn, back into the parking place, safely steer around various obstacles, and park as closely as possible next to the wall without touching it. Team Phoenix won this competition: Earnest Gibson (Clark), Ricardo Gonzalez (Burbank), Edward Rico (Fox Tech), and Arielle Solcher (Clark).

Leal, the Rebels Team Leader, said he enjoyed constructing and programming the robot, "and the competition made it more interesting."

Lucas Treviño (Rainbow Hills Baptist High School), from a runner-up team, said the EDGE Program and robotics competition "really opened my eyes to the engineering field. It helped me see what I really want to do in the future."

Dr. Dan Dimitriu, Engineering Coordinator and Director of the EDGE Program, explained that the competition is part of an eight-week summer program (June 6 - July 27) for high school students who are interested in science and math. Engineering Instructor Klaus Bartels served as judge and coach for the robotics competition.

"The program is a bridge between high school and the college freshman year," said Dimitriu, and it costs the students $25. The U.S. Department of Education and the ACCD Foundation fund the program. Students are enrolled in college-level Introduction to Engineering and lab-enhanced Introductory Physics. After successfully completing the program, students earn five college credit hours that can be applied toward an Associate degree from San Antonio College and transferred toward a Bachelor's degree.

For more information, contact Dimitriu at 210-785-6049 or go to http://www.accd.edu/sac/edge.