Learning from Robots
Written By Asia Howe
“I just want the future to happen faster. I can’t imagine the future without robots.”
— Nolan Bushnell
As much as we might not realize it, robots surround us—they can be found, for example, in homes, restaurants, hospitals, and on the police force. Despite all that filmmakers have taught us, however, they are not always humanoid. While one will not come across Wall-E or Bender at the University of Hawaii at Hilo (UH Hilo), one will find robots at the university, along with the passionate Space Robotics Club members who construct them.
“The Space Robotics Club was founded almost a year ago,” states Derek Hand, current president of the club and senior studying astronomy and physics. “I was one of the founding members. [We] help support the Space Robotics Team, which is [currently] designing and building a robot to compete in the 2015 Robotic Mining Competition [RMC] hosted by NASA.” The club, therefore, has been working with computer science, engineering, and physics to produce a robot for the 2015 RMC.
The 2015 University of Hawaii at Hilo Space Robotics Team. Top, from left: E'lisa Lee, Carli Hand, and Amy Brittain. Bottom, from left: Daryl Albano, Derek Hand, and Ethan Paraguirigan. Photo courtesy of Derek Hand.
Carli Hand, club secretary, sophomore, and Mathematics and Electrical Engineering double major, adds, “[Members] meet with each other to develop [our] mining robot [for the 2015 RMC] that could theoretically be used on the moon in the future.” When asked how she has been applying what she has learned or is learning in her classes, the secretary asserts she employs her knowledge “to wire the robot and [learn] how it functions with computer programing.” She also utilizes what she knows to “engineer paper needed for [the] future.”
“In the Robotics Club, we learn how to organize, plan, schedule, and give small talks,” E’Lisa Lee, club vice president, senior, and Astronomy major with a Physics and Japanese minor, affirms.
“This has helped me be more confident in explaining my ideas as well as planning and executing them. I have [also] learned to solder, use the software Solidworks, drill holes, wire electronics, and code in Arduino. Being apart of the Robotics Club has made me take heart in being prompt and timely, planning things out and following [them] through, and most importantly, being able to explain what I [do] to others,” said Lee.
Cale Clementson, club member, senior, and Astronomy and Physics double major, asseverates, “I have learned so many things through my research [for the Space Robotics Club] as well as practical things like how to wire motors to drivers, bread boards to motherboards, and how the coding controls all of it.” When asked how his membership has influenced or impacted his thoughts about the future, Clementson responds, “I loved designing this [the 2015 RMC] robot. We went over so many macro designs [that] I considered changing my entire graduate program from astrophysics to engineering.”
The moving frame of the Space Robotics Club’s 2015 RMC robot. Photo courtesy of Derek Hand.
“We are building a robot capable of sensing color, mining, and transporting materials,” Alyssa Grace, club member, junior, and Natural Sciences major, says about the 2015 RMC robot. “I apply what I learn in physics courses [when] designing detection and sensing devices for our robot. Space Robotics makes me excited to learn new material in my classes so that I can [construct] more robots for different experiments in varying scientific fields. The experiences I have with the club make me feel competent and qualified for the future experimental work I want to do.”
“I have been interested in the research aspect of astrophysics,” Derek Hand admits, “but now I am starting to think about things where I could apply my knowledge to space travel [or] colonization.” To those whose curiosity is piqued by the club, the president ensures, “We are always looking for new members who are interested in robotics and space in general.”
Students interested in the Robotics Club may contact Derek Hand at derek21@hawaii.edu. More information about the 2015 RMC hosted by NASA may be found here. Information on the Space Robotics Club’s newest work may be found here. Club meetings are on Tuesdays at 5 pm and Thursdays at 4:30 pm in room 101, in the College of Agriculture Building (CAB).
