UC hosts annual robotics competition for local students

"Every year we come up with a theme for the students to make it real and help them get an understanding of how engineering, STEM, and robotics can affect the world," said Derek Wolf, assistant professor of mechanical engineering. 

When Wolf joined the University of Cincinnati, he was looking to get involved in service learning and found out about the robotics competition. For the past two years, he and Blaire Bartish, program manager in the CEAS Office of Professional Development and Community Impact, have worked together to run the event. 

Wolf's research focuses on enabling independent living for people with disabilities, specifically those affected by stroke and spinal cord injury. That focus, and his motivation to help people, inspired this year's competition theme. 

"This is an area I really care about, and I thought it would be a great fit to show these young students the potential impact they can have," Wolf said. 

Wolf's interest in the field began as an undergraduate, when he worked on a project modifying toys for young children with physical and mental challenges. He continued that research work in graduate school, and now, as an assistant professor, he combines robotics and biomechanics to explore how engineering principles can be applied to people. 

"I tend to look at people like robots. We have links and motors, they're just muscles," he said. "So, I look at how we can work together with actual robots to allow people to achieve their goals." 

On competition day, studens come to campus for an all-day event. Throughout the day, each team will run through the competition course, getting a certain number of points for each completed task.

"This year, students had to create a workplace that a person using a wheelchair has to get around and deliver items," Wolf said. "For instance, zone 1 was navigating a narrow hallway, zone 2 was traversing bumpy terrain, and zone 3 was at the top of a ramp. The teams have a set amount of time and receive points for delivering to each zone." 

Bringing a real-world perspective to the competition, Sarah Elam will speak to students about her experience as a wheelchair user. Elam, who is quadriplegic, is working with Wolf on one of his research projects focused on designing a user-centered, easy-to-use assistive device to help restore hand grasping motions.

“Sarah will be able to speak on those challenges and bring a real-world aspect to what the students are working on,” Wolf said. “I hope they realize that small things they design can have a massive impact on people’s lives.”

The creativity of students is a highlight of the competition every year. Even with the same parameters, no group’s project is the same.

“We give them the LEGO robot kit and ground rules, and they take it and soar,” Bartish said.

A longstanding program, the robotics competition is a positive learning experience for both high school and UC students every year.