Students create a dream team robot
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
McKinley High School's Naia III grabbed the loose ball off of the floor, switched it to its good hand and hit the goal. Swish!
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
Shot after shot, Naia placed the ball cleanly into the hoop. But you won't find No. 368 in any box score or on the basketball court.
Naia III, the robot created by McKinley High School students, would be an athletic superstar if it were human.
Naia III isn't human. It is the product of the school's Kika Mana robotics team that will participate in the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition in California. Regional contests will be held March 28-29 in San Jose, and April 5-6 in Los Angeles .
McKinley is one of five Hawai'i high schools that will take part in the regional contest. Also participating will be Waialua, Waipahu, Mililani and Hawai'i Preparatory Academy.
For six weeks, 13 McKinley students have worked with volunteer mentors from Hawaiian Electric Co. to build the robot. Naia III will be shipped to California today for the competitions. Team members will depart a month later.
The competition was started 10 years ago by FIRST, a nonprofit organization that encourages careers in science, engineering and technology. More than 600 schools will take part in the regional competitions this year.
A goal of the program also is to match students and professionals with an emphasis on teamwork and communication.
Li-Anne Dela Vega, a junior and team co-captain, said she isn't really an engineering type, but has learned a lot since joining the program as a sophomore.
"At first I really didn't know how to do anything, but the mentors are so great and they have a great chemistry with the students. Now I can pretty much do anything," she said. Dela Vega said she will likely pursue a career in computers.
She said the challenge for the team was to decide what the robot will do, and then design and build the machine. Team members and the mentors dedicated most of their free time to developing the robot.
Enrique Che, a HECO engineer and mentor, said it's all worth it.
"We have very bright students, but one of the biggest hurdles for them is to communicate," Che said. "The biggest change I've seen is maturity level, teamwork and communication improvement."
McKinley engineering teacher Milton Lau said the program also gives the students realistic career goals.
"This program enforces the essence of teamwork, perseverance and commitment, much like the way sports are," Lau said. "Our main goal is to influence the kids to go into the areas of science, engineering and technology and it's a reachable goal for them, whereas in sports, it's very difficult to become a Michael Jordan."
