Robotics tournament grows in Windsor

By Kenneth Pastushyn

 

The second annual Windsor-Essex Great Lakes FIRST Robotics Regional competition took place at the University of Windsor’s St. Denis Centre.

There are seven regional robotics tournaments in Canada and Windsor’s is the largest. Around fifty teams competed, mostly from across Ontario, plus a few from Michigan, New York and California.

“Remarkable growth,” said Irek Kusmierczyk, director of youth programs and robotics at the Windsor-Essex Tech Alliance. “Two years ago we had only one area high school team competing and how we have 14.”

Strategic partnerships help robotics grow locally and Valiant Corporations is the largest in the area, according to Kusmierczyk.

“We try to promote people getting involved in robotics because we use a lot of them,” said Mike Ouellette, the skilled trades training coordinator at Valiant. “It’s great to see young people interested in robotics and as they get older, it motivates them and gives them direction.”

Valiant also sponsors the Belle River High School Automatons robotics team.

“Valiant helps a lot. They support us with materials and mentors that come out to school every night,” said Mike Lokun, head manufacturing shop teacher and head coach at the high school. “We initiate a project to teach kids how to design, control and manufacture a robot while simultaneously trying to build a business and gaining sponsorship. We spend a whole lot of hours putting it all together.”

Every Robotics team in the competition has only six weeks to build a robot. During this time period the students at the high school sometimes work until 10 p.m. and come to school on Saturdays.

Lokun and his assistant shop teacher and coach, Ray Auger, teach all of the students the use of machinery in the shop. The mentors from Valiant help the students with the design and controls. Valiant also opens up their factories to students, allowing them to build their robots on the factory floor.

“These students are building a 120-pound robot and in the background is a sea of industrial robots,” said Kusmierczyk. “It brings industry and the classroom together which makes it phenomenal.”

What started out as a 25 student pilot project is now a 75 student program for entry level robotics at Valiant. Also being offered is a 46-week robotics training program which students can apply for right out of high school.

“We have about 150 students and we hired about 130,” said Danielle Gignac, director of human resources at Valiant. “We train them and they work in different capacities.”

This is the first competition of the year for Lokun and the Automatons. They said if they could afford it, they would like to travel to more competitions. Right now, the Automatons are trying to raise money for a trip to compete in the world championships being held in St. Louis.

“We are fortunate to be invited to participate in the world championship. It’s our first time and the kids are excited,” said Lokun. “We probably won’t win but we will enjoy the experience and give it the old college try.”

Many of Lokun’s students go on to college for trade programs and a few received engineering scholarships for McMaster and Waterloo universities.
According to Lokun, whether the students go to college, university, or the work force, they learn a tremendous amount which will help them in any one of these areas.

“If they could build a robot in six weeks, imagine what they can do when they get out in the real world,” said Kusmierczyk.