The Sky is the Limit for 4-H Alarm Robotics
4-H Alarm Robotics wins Engineering Inspiration Award.
The 4-H Alarm Robotics team has enjoyed a successful 2024 – and the year isn’t over yet! Back in early April, the robotics team, based in Franklin, MA, participated in the New England District Championships for the first time, winning the Engineering Inspiration Award and earning a spot at the World Championships held in Houston, TX.
Founded in 2007, 4-H Alarm Robotics is a regional team comprised of 8th -12th grade youth from 11 different towns that participates in the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (F.I.R.S.T.) Robotics Program. Stephen Dunbar has led the club since 2016, when he started helping the youth with robot prototypes. The club finds new members via referrals and social media, though many of the current members started as children in another robotics division.
The 4-H Alarm Robotics Club achieved its latest success with a 120-pound robot named HYDRA, which the youth programmed to pick up and shoot objects into a target area. HYDRA is comprised of four modules, each of which has two motors. The youth also installed a swerve drive in HYDRA, which allows it to rotate.
Creating a robot like HYDRA takes weeks of the youths’ time and involves computer-aided design (CAD), programming, and machining. Each season the team designs a robot , the theme of which is announced each January by F.I.R.S.T.
To kick off the build process, the youth discuss team strategy and concepts for the robot. Then, the youth break up into teams, creating a CAD model of the future robot. After that, they begin the work of building the robot; the “build season” lasts for six weeks. 4-H Alarm Robotics requires a significant commitment during this phase. While building the robot, team members meet six days per week, including six hours on Saturdays.
The youth meet at the Red Brick Schoolhouse in Franklin, a historic schoolhouse that is one of the oldest one-room schoolhouses in the country. In 2019, the town issued a notice asking for renters, and 4-H Alarm Robotics expressed interest.
The real work begins with the competitions. The team began at the local level this year, then qualified for the New England District Championships and finally the world competition in Houston. During a competition, the teams create alliances composed of three teams, which in turn compete against other alliances. Despite all the preparation, things don’t always go according to plan. Sometimes the robot’s parts break, so the team always brings along extra. “These kids learn very quickly how to think under pressure,” said Stephen. “They collaborate better than many professionals do.”
In the “off-season,” the team focuses on outreach and developing the skills of children who may become future team members. 4-H ALARM Robotics hosted a robotics competition for middle school-aged youth called the Stephen Green FLL Explore Showcase on April 27 at the Franklin Public Library. They also coached two teams associated with the Showcase over twelve weeks.
4-H ALARM Robotics also challenged the children to work on a Halloween project called Scratch Hackathon in October 2023. “My favorite part of the club is outreach,” said Ishika. “You make an impact. I’m teaching kids all the things I’ve learned.”
Apart from outreach, the 4-H Alarm Robotics members appreciate everything they have learned, including lessons they can apply outside of the Red Brick Schoolhouse. “Robotics helps me think in a different way,” said Sri, 14. “In competition, each team is trying to achieve the same tasks, but each in a different way. You can have multiple ways to do the same thing.”
Meeting other youth who share their interest is a bonus too. “One of my favorite things is meeting people,” said Richaa,15. “We try to connect outside of competitions.”
The club was awarded a $3,000 grant in June by the Foundation’s Pilot Grant Program to purchase robot parts, including swerve modules, encoders, motors, and gears.
4-H ALARM Robotics has big plans for the future. “We want to do more advanced programming and get the team’s first blue banner [in the competition] next year,” said Aditya, 15. The team also hopes to start a high school team in North Attleboro.
