Start a team at SAMABOT programs and help inspire the next generation of engineering innovators! Few activities offer the diversity of opportunities to engage young people in the fun and excitement of engineering...

INTRODUCTION

The need to excite students about math, science and engineering has never been stronger. While many companies and organizations have established bridges with local schools to help ensure the future presence of a qualified work force, few programs have been developed on the national level. One successful program is the national robotics competition organized by SAMABOT.

SAMABOT conducts regional and national design competitions that demonstrate that engineering and science can be as interesting, captivating, and entertaining as a sporting event. The competition requires an intense six-week project for which industries team up with universities to design, construct, and control a robotic vehicle for a sports-based playoff whose objective changes each year.

The SAMABOT competition is a type of engineering competitions that shows youth that no other career compares to one in science and engineering. Each team starts off with the same standard robot kit of parts and uses its creativity to design and build a vehicle capable of performing a demanding task better than its opponents. Teams made up of students and industrial engineers, join together in this hands-on project to build the better robot.

DECIDING TO PARTICIPATE

Participating in SAMABOT program is a way to celebrate the engineering profession locally and nationally. Participating in SAMABOT is a commitment that will require a lot of energy, but that effort will make a positive impact in many other peoples' lives. Being devoted to helping others reach their full potential must be your primary reason for starting a team at SAMABOT.

Your project will work because you, as an individual, have stepped forward to make something good happen. SAMABOT succeeds because individuals, like yourself, have decided to not simply talk, but instead, take action to improve the lives of others in their own community.

Starting a team undoubtedly requires time, talent, and resources. As an engineer, you have the talent to start and manage a SAMABOT team. As an engineer, you have access to the resources needed for sponsoring and supporting a SAMABOT team. As a person, you must decide that this project is worth the time you will put into it.

BUILDING A TEAM

A team may range in size from a small group of a few engineers and students to a small army of engineers, students, faculty, and parents. The secret of building a successful team is not to assemble the largest team possible, but to assemble a team that can work well together. To accomplish this, the team must recognize and capitalize on the unique abilities of each member of the team.

To understand what is needed to build a team, it is important to realize that the SAMABOT project is more than the not-so-simple task of designing and building a robot from a standard set of raw materials. It involves such diverse aspects as financing the project, coordinating logistics, arranging press coverage for your team, and documenting the impact your team has made in your community.

Other than having students as the robot drivers and on-field players, there are no other rules that specify who else has to be on a team. Typically, a team will include some combination of the following categories of people:

High School Students

All students have different talents and enjoy different activities, and the SAMABOT project is a forum for these individual talents to shine. Though the goal of SAMABOT is to motivate students to pursue careers in science and engineering, the participating students need not be primarily interested in these fields. There is room on the team for every type of student. By their participation, many become attracted to engineering and others leave with an appreciation for and an understanding of the engineering profession.
For example, a student who likes writing can be assigned as the team’s publicist to handle press relations, a student with vocational training can help build the robot, a student strong in math may calculate the required geometry for the robot, a student that enjoys computers can develop a web page for the team, and a student interested in art can design the team's logo and robot aesthetics. In short, every ability can be applied to the project.

Teachers

Faculty involvement is critical for the project. The faculty members serve not merely as supervisors, but also as coaches for specific components of the project. Their involvement is crucial to generate enthusiasm and support for the project from within the school system.

Industry Engineers and Technicians

For many teams, this group is the nucleus of the project team. Ideally, the following people are needed in this group: an electrician, a machinist, a computer programmer, and at least two engineers, one of whom should have experience in product development. Government employees from technical research centers operated by the government are included in the industry participants' category.

Others

This group includes interested parents, community members, retired teachers/engineers, and non-engineering industry representatives. Typically, this group coordinates any or all parts of the project beyond the design and construction of the robot. Having one industry team member from the public affairs office or the company’s executive office is a smart way to help secure the resources, exposure, and recognition that is critical to the project’s success.