Spring Break
OSU Robotics Club makes tracks, gains members
Robotics Club has seen high numbers since its victory at 2008's University Rover Challenge
Katie Wolf
Issue date: 1/16/09 Section: News
Eight months ago, the OSU Robotics Club gained an unexpected victory at the 2008 University Rover Challenge at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah.
Now, more than doubled in size, the club is preparing for another competition, and the members are confident that their hard work will pay off again.
The OSU Robotics Club was founded in the winter of 2007. It began with only four members, all undergraduates in electrical and computer engineering. After their impressive victory last year, however, the club began attracting attention.
"Based off of the success from last year, we have gotten massive club growth," said Ryan Albright, a junior in electrical and computer engineering. Albright is the vice-president of the robotics club.
Although the team has grown and now consists of a variety of students from different majors, it still only has one senior.
Last year's competition in Utah challenged each team to build a rover that could complete four distinct tasks. Each robot was controlled using a remote and was able to relay visual information back to its controllers.
The tasks included soil analysis, construction and navigation through rough terrain. Each rover also had to find a "distressed" astronaut planted on the site.
"Our rover had phenomenal power and speed, and we were able to go over and through rocks instead of weaving around them in places where many teams got stuck," said Matt Shuman, faculty advisor for the club.
Compared to last year, the club has gotten a head start on construction of their robot, said Albright.
The University Rover Challenge is a worldwide competition that any university can enter. Seven universities competed last year, including the University of Nevada, Georgia Tech, Iowa State and Brigham Young University.
Shuman said the club always welcomes support. Before the competition last year, the club hosted a public demonstration at the Benton County Fairgrounds to provide the public with an opportunity to see their work.
Ben Goska, a junior double majoring in electrical computer engineering and math, who does most of the programming for the team, said they will most likely hold a similar event before their next competition.
"These students are going to make really excellent engineers and scientists as they enter the workforce," said Alan Spencer, a guest judge at the 2008 competition.
Katie Wolf, staff writer
news@dailybarometer.com, 737-2231
Now, more than doubled in size, the club is preparing for another competition, and the members are confident that their hard work will pay off again.
The OSU Robotics Club was founded in the winter of 2007. It began with only four members, all undergraduates in electrical and computer engineering. After their impressive victory last year, however, the club began attracting attention.
"Based off of the success from last year, we have gotten massive club growth," said Ryan Albright, a junior in electrical and computer engineering. Albright is the vice-president of the robotics club.
Although the team has grown and now consists of a variety of students from different majors, it still only has one senior.
Last year's competition in Utah challenged each team to build a rover that could complete four distinct tasks. Each robot was controlled using a remote and was able to relay visual information back to its controllers.
The tasks included soil analysis, construction and navigation through rough terrain. Each rover also had to find a "distressed" astronaut planted on the site.
"Our rover had phenomenal power and speed, and we were able to go over and through rocks instead of weaving around them in places where many teams got stuck," said Matt Shuman, faculty advisor for the club.
Compared to last year, the club has gotten a head start on construction of their robot, said Albright.
The University Rover Challenge is a worldwide competition that any university can enter. Seven universities competed last year, including the University of Nevada, Georgia Tech, Iowa State and Brigham Young University.
Shuman said the club always welcomes support. Before the competition last year, the club hosted a public demonstration at the Benton County Fairgrounds to provide the public with an opportunity to see their work.
Ben Goska, a junior double majoring in electrical computer engineering and math, who does most of the programming for the team, said they will most likely hold a similar event before their next competition.
"These students are going to make really excellent engineers and scientists as they enter the workforce," said Alan Spencer, a guest judge at the 2008 competition.
Katie Wolf, staff writer
news@dailybarometer.com, 737-2231
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