BROOK PARK, Ohio -- TV Big Bang Theory characters Sheldon, Leonard, Raj and Howard have nothing on the robotics teams that assembled recently in Brook Park.
Six local youth were paired with local competitive robot teams and several officials from NASA Glenn Research Center to program and race rolling mechanical machines made from LEGOs. The event was at the Brook Park branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library more than a week ago.
The robots on wheels had light and touch sensors, a USB port and the ability to take direction from a software program created on a laptop. They were constructed with parts from LEGO's Mindstorms kits.
Providing one-on-one technical assistance were high school students from the Hathaway Brown's 2399 Fighting Unicorns of Shaker Heights and the Brain Bots, a neighborhood club from the Euclid-Richmond Heights area.
"We are spreading our love of technology to other people," said high school junior Lauren Egts, a summer intern at NASA and a member of the Unicorns.
Volunteers helped attendees navigate their way from programming to operating and, if necessary, correct their robots' actions to ready them for the races at the culmination of the three-hour program. They also lay the groundwork for others to start their own teams or join one of the volunteer's teams.
"It is an opportunity for them to engage in STEM learning outside the classroom," John Keyerleber said speaking of the library program participants. Keyerleber's son Matt is a member of the Brain Bots and his daughter Hanna is with the Unicorns.
The Unicorns and Brain Bots fall under the umbrella of FIRST - a series of robotics programs that incorporate construction, programming, problem solving and teamwork.
The goal of the FIRST program is to increase the skills and competency of youth through four levels, from Junior FIRST Lego League for ages 6 to 9 to FIRST Robotics Competition for high school students.
Hanna Keyerleber got involved in FIRST after going to meetings with a classmate. "I never thought I'd get involved," she said.
She credits the all-femaie atmosphere at Hathaway Brown for her involvement. "In a different environment, it's something I would never have pursued."
Herb Schilling, of NASA's graphics and visualization team in the office of the chief information officer, started off the afternoon by showing a video of NASA's own famous robot and space explorer, the Mars Rover.
Brian Sommers, also with NASA, then used a projector to walk the group through a programming exercise. Software and a laptop were used to create commands for the robots. Coded information was transferred to the LEGO bots.
Three sets of robot "roadways" were set up in an adjoining room for youths to set their programmed machines in motion. Long stretches of white paper were marked with black lines that the bots would follow if properly programmed.
Novice programmers could also make adjustments for speed. Lauren Egts explained to 10-year-old Bhavya Anoop that accuracy would decrease if the speed increases too much.
The session culminated in robot races on the roadways. NASA's Calvin Robinson roused the enthusiasm of the group as he kept track of their robot's racing scores.
This program of outreach and demonstration appeared to end in the exact way it was intended - to ignite a passion in these youth for teaming up with each other and technology.
For more information about the FIRST program or if you're interested in starting a robotics team, visit www.usfirst.org. The season begins Aug. 25 when FIRST announces a theme for the season. A team can register throughout September.
John Keyerleber offered guidance and FIRST information through www.neohbots.com, which is a web page that encourages local participation in STEM learning and includes a calendar of events. The group can be reached by email at info@neohbots.com
For outreach opportunities for students through NASA Glenn Research Center, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/education/index.html