Jet Lastimoso, a UAA sophomore in mechanical engineering and mechanical lead on the UAA Iceberg Robotics Team, describes how this year's VEX robots will be designed. Photo by Kaycee Davis
UAA’s robotics team – Iceberg Robotics – hosted an open house on Oct. 3 for the community to meet members and learn more about their robots. Iceberg Robotics demonstrated last year’s robots “Sid” and “Granny” – named for the movie “Ice Age” – and the models of this year’s robots. They also operated a 3D printer throughout the evening.
Iceberg Robotics competes in the VEX-U competition. It is a competition involving the creation of a robot to certain specifications that is put on by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation.
The VEX-U competitions offer elementary through university divisions, and give participants an opportunity to engage in their mission statement; “science, technology, engineering, math, and computer science.”
Every year, VEX-U offers a new game for robots to participate in – this year the game is called “Over Under.”
Jet Lastimoso – a UAA mechanical engineering sophomore and mechanical lead on the 2023/24 robots – said that the game is played with triballs – often called “acorns” – and the point is to create a robot that scores the balls into goals and then can lift itself up a pole at the end.
Lastimoso said that this year’s robots do not yet have names, but they are considering “Scrat” and “Scratte” because the game involves acorns and Scrat and Scratte are saber-toothed flying squirrels in the movie “Ice Age.”
Robotics team members at the open house answered questions and worked with the 3D printer to make name tags for attendees.
Many families with children attended the open house to see the robots and the 3D printer. “I think it was a good event and the kids got some exposure to some of the toys that many engineers play with,” mechanical engineering student Robert Thorson wrote in an email.
Robotics club teaches practical skills beyond the classroom. Members say they gain valuable experience through building these robots.
Robotics team president Mya Schroder – a senior majoring in computer science and computer systems engineering – wrote in an email, “I think the Robotics Team provides a ton of job-relevant skills that I can't really acquire as much of in the classroom. That includes leadership skills, self-initiative, team work, fundraising, and on and on.”
She wrote that she has put her experience with Iceberg Robotics on her resume and she thinks that everyone else has done the same.
UAA Robotics Club meets on Fridays in the Engineering and Industry Building at 5 p.m.
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