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Success Stories - All Saints High School Robotics Project
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IEEE Canadian Foundation Grant Report by Paul McDonough, Technology Teacher
and Robotics Team Mentor. All Saints High School
The All Saints Robotics Team is a dedicated group of high school
students ranging from Grades 9 through 12. The objective of the team is
to provide students with hands-on and practical applications related to
the discipline of Robotics and Engineering. The All Saints Robotics Team
was formed in 2006 to provide students the oppourtunity to gain
experience in various technologies and disciplines such as design,
programing and project management as well as team building and gracious
professionalism. Our main objective was to compete in the FIRST Robotics
Competition in Toronto, Ontario (Regional) and Atlanta, Georgia (World
Championship) in April 2010 with teams from around the World. In 2009
the team crossed a major hurdle and participated in FIRST Robotics for
the first time. In order to improve from last year we wanted to place
higher in our regional event and attend the FIRST World Championship.
Participating in the FIRST Robotics competitions provides our students
with memorable and extensive experience in terms of technology and
engineering. Through our objecties in participating in the FIRST
Robotics competition we are helping foster the next generation of
engineers and technologists.
The project had 3 intended outcomes,
- Foster hands on learning in the fields of design, computer programming,
project management and engineering.
- Compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition in Toronto, Ontario
- Compete in the World Championship in Atlanta, Georgia
The first two of the intended outcomes were achieved. The students designed,
built and programmed a robot to compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition in
Toronto. Their performance on the field was hindered by mechanical failures
however they did win an award for safety at the regional level. The students
used industry standard programs like VX Works from WindRiver to program their
robot as well as Solidworks Design Software to design their robot in 3D. Our
third and final outcome was not realized. The team did not compete in the World
Championship Competition in Atlanta. The reason for not competing at this
competition was strictly because of financial reasons.
In the 2009/2010 school year the team saw enormous growth. The number of
students involved doubled, our involvement in the community increased,
we won an award for safety at our regional competition and we started to
develop more of a team identity. Our new Identity has driven the
majority of our success. The ASTECHZ (All Saints Technology and why Z
well because it’s cool) have a new name and motto, Dedication,
Determination and Duct Tape. The team was also won an award for safety
at our regional competition. This year the team chose to get involved
with two community initiatives. They participated and helped pass on the
spirit of FIRST by hosting a FIRST Lego League competition. They also
raised approximately $2000.00 for the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s
charity, Grandmother’s to Grandmother’s, through their participation in
the All Saints Rock-a-Thon. The team hopes to continue to build on their
existing success in the up and coming year.
Photos provided by Paul McDonough
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