If one thing is apparent in today’s world, it’s that technology isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
From self-driving cars to proposed drone delivery services, it’s clear that machines are becoming more and more prevalent in daily life. Although we may not have reached Terminator levels of the machine takeover just yet, we’re getting pretty close.
But that’s a depressing thought. Let’s not dwell on that. Instead, let’s focus on what’s being done about it right here in Concord.
As part of the 21C program, Rundlett Middle School offers an underwater robotics club. It doesn’t meet under water – it’s a club where students build their own robots that operate under water.
It’s kind of like, “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.” After all, if robots aren’t going anywhere, might as well learn all about them starting at a young age to build some skills.
The robots the students are building are kind of like those drones everyone seems to have these days. They’re capable of moving up, down, left, right, forward and backward. Only instead of doing this in the air, these bots do it under water. The only unfortunate thing is that they’re not wireless like their flying counterparts.
But, unlike those toys made by companies you’ve never heard of in countries you’ve never heard of, these machines are built entirely by the students.
A company called Seaperch is in the business of distributing plans, kits and tutorials for underwater robots. The Rundlett students have been using Seaperch’s instructions and some of the company’s videos on its website (seaperch.org), but they haven’t had to pay the big bucks (more than $100 per kit) for the materials.
“We have been fortunate to have most of the materials donated by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard,” said science teacher Chris Lane, who leads the robotics club. “We would like to thank them.”
At Rundlett, there’s a $25 fee to sign up for 21C, and that cost covers snacks and transportation – waivers are also available. Once a student is signed up, he or she can participate in as many 21C activities as they want.
The robotics club started in mid-January and meets on Wednesdays, “but we are considering adding a couple extra meetings to help us prepare for the Seaperch Regional competition at UNH on April 2,” Lane said. It’s open to all Rundlett students, grades six through eight.
The students come in and just get to work on their robots. Everyone is free to work at their own pace, so it’s not unusual to have many phases of the process represented at once during any given session.
Last week, for example, some students were on Phase 3 while others were still on Phase 2 and even others were on Phase 1. Some students were dropping in for the first time while others had been working on their machines for weeks.
This can seem a bit hectic, but it keeps Lane on his toes, and he likes that. He handles it all with grace, too. One minute he’s rifling through a box of supplies looking for a tiny fuse, the next he’s donning rubber gloves to make a ball out of toilet sealing wax.
All in the name of science, right?
And speaking of working at your own pace, there was one student in the classroom a little more well-versed in robotics than the rest.
Jacob Scavarelli brought in his own, finished robot. He built it a couple summers ago. It’s not the exact same thing as what was being built in the program, but it’s very similar.
Once he got the tub filled up (a job he looked just thrilled to be doing), it was time to put the robot in the water and show the class what this was all about.
With a few casual flips of the control, the water bot scooted around the surface a few times before Scavarelli had it dive. This is the part everyone was waiting for.
With a bubbly flourish, the robot went under and began its deep-sea exploration. Lane came over to point out certain things to the class. “Can you see which propellers are moving?” he asked at one point.
After a few minutes of demonstration, Scavarelli handed the controls over to the class. Anyone who wanted to try would get the chance, and Scavarelli stayed there with the bot and tub to offer any guidance.
Meanwhile, Lane was running around the classroom jumping in here and there, wherever his help was needed. One group – the students work in pairs, but many end up working in groups larger than that – was working on assembling a control when there was a concern about the equipment. Where’s the fuse? the group wondered in bewilderment. They didn’t even know what a fuse looked like.
Luckily, Lane did. He had to raid the supply bin, but he found that tiny glass tube.
Then, at another station, it was time to waterproof the robot’s engines. This would be a sticky job.
In order to protect the electronics from water, the engines – which are packed into plastic film containers – must be coated in wax. This calls for those wax rings that go between your toilet and the floor.
It’s an unconventional use of that product, but that’s kind of in the spirit of engineering and science anyway. And, it works. And it’s cheap and easy to find, so it makes perfect sense.
But however sensible, this group of middle-school girls (and one boy) wanted to see what the deal was with this stuff, so they called Lane over. He gladly rolled up the sleeves of his magician-like coat, put on some rubber gloves and started breaking the ring up into little pieces about the size of an acorn – one of which Lane happened to have on his desk to compare the size.
Soon enough, the students were following his lead and packing the grease into the film canisters.
During the waterproofing process, a student severed a wire that would need to be soldered. Almost every boy in the room volunteered to handle the task.
It was a packed day of learning, helping and fun, and before we knew it, it was time to go.
