US Ambassador spies Massey's robotics 'rock stars'

US Ambassador spies Massey's robotics 'rock stars'

United States ambassador David Huebner calls the robotics teams from Auckland secondary schools the "rock stars" of their era.

Mr Heubner visited the Albany campus on Wednesday to meet pupils testing robots for the latest VEX robotics competition, which culminates in an international final in at the Disney Resort near Orlando, Florida, next April. They are training with mentors who are staff and students from the University's School of Engineering and Advanced Technology.

There was brief, joking mention of sabotage and guerrilla warfare as Mr Heubner discussed tactics with enthusiastic pupils preparing for regional competitions. Among them are the home-schooled team, Free Range Robotics, who are the current VEX robotics world champions.

Mr Huebner told them they were "the real rock stars" of their era for embracing the fun, challenging, international game that enables them to meet and befriend other robotics teams from all over the world.

"It's really cool that you get to play against kids from so many other countries. It's about people to people – you not only get to build robots but you meet different people who like building robots and to discuss building robots. It's much harder to discriminate, to hate and to oppress others when you know them by name."

Mr Huebner and the robotics team members spoke via video conference with rivals from Los Angeles' Chaminade College Preparatory who are coming to New Zealand at the end of the month to compete in the Auckland regional competition held at the Albany campus.

Terry Allen, a parent and teacher with Free Range Robotics, says children gain an array of skills from participating in the robotics programme. A team consists of a [robot] driver, designer and builder, strategist, programmer as well as webpage designer, and public relations and fundraising person.

"Before VEX, they thought engineering was only about building bridges and roads," Ms Allen said. "The competition has opened up a whole new world to them. They realise why maths and physics are important, not disconnected from real life. These young people are the future innovators for our world. Massey has seen the value in this and grasped the vision."

College of Sciences regional director Professor Ian Maddox led the introduction of the competition in New Zealand after being inspired by a similar international robotics world championship he attended in Atlanta in 2008. He says beyond the fun, drama, action and adrenalin of robotics contests is a deeper philosophy of promoting education and skills in technology, science, engineering and mathematics as well as problem-solving, team work and creative thinking.

ENDS

© Scoop Media