BY H. MYLES

Hidden away in the depths of the manufacturing sector of the school, is the Robotics Club, a group of over 20 students with a keen interest in technology.

 

Since its inception, the club has been steadily growing within the school, competing in local, as well as international, competitions. Last season, the team travelled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to compete, facing off against 64 global competitors. This year, they have their sights set on a few local events at Nippissing University as well as Oshawa.

 

For the competition, the team is given six weeks to construct a bot that will attempt to complete a series of tasks, such as throwing frisbees or giant balls. The work is truly a labour of love as the team spends 300+ hours, both weekdays and weekends, in order to complete the latest robot.

 

The sport of robotics has grown in the Halton area, as Milton District is part of an eight school group granted $100 000 from State Farm. As well, the Canadian Welding Bureua (CWB) has helped fund MD’s team and gave a few lessons on welding.

 

The Robotics Club is led by Mr. Cino and also features Night School and “Period 6” opportunities, in which students can work extra hours to receive a school credit. The members of the team learn the skills of manufacturing, being given the opportunity to design using AutoCad as well as building the bot using the equipment in the Manufacturing Class.

 

Andrew Ha, a Grade 11 member of the club, said that the skills he has learned in robotics have helped him in math and will be advantageous for when he studies physics. He first joined the club to fuel his interest in engineering, and he values the experience robotics has provided him.

 

Besides the mechanics of actually building a “bot”, Ha  says that time management and responsibility are only two of the skills needed to be on the team, as it is an extraordinary commitment. Andrew is excited for the future as the field of robotics continues to grow and he looks forward to expanding the club presence within Milton District.

 

Already, the Robotics Club hosts the VEX Robotics Competition once a year, in which other Halton schools build robots to compete in a series of challenges.

It seems the future is bright for the Robotics Club as they continue to work hard and build a reputation for the Milton Mustangs.

 

Interested in joining? Get connected via Twitter as well as their website, mdhsrobotics.ca. You can also see Mr. Cino for more information.

 

Personal Sources:

Andrew Ha

High School Student

Milton District High School

 

Additional info

www.mdhsrobotics.ca