5/29/2014

WGH students building life-saving robot for Waxahachie police - Waxahachie Daily Light: Waxahachie

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WGH students building life-saving robot for

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Posted: Saturday, December 14, 2013 3:28 pm

By ANDREW BRANCA Daily Light Staff Writer

Waxahachie Global High School students have

teamed up with the Waxahachie Police
Department on an ambitious project that will
help to save lives. Students are designing a
robot that will take the role of an officer in
dangerous situations.

WGH to build police robot

The Waxahachie Global High Robotics Team is partnering with the
Waxahachie Police Department to design and build a robot that could
save an officers life.

Global High teacher and robotics team sponsor

Molly Adams contacted the police department
though its website about the school partnering
up on a project. Since the first contact officers
and students have been sharing ideas to create
and design a robot that would aid officers on
difficult calls.

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We wanted to do more community service

this year and so we restructured our team. Part
of our restructuring was to re-examine our
values as a team, Adams said. We had a couple of ideas going around. When we started talking
with the police department about the possibility of helping them with some crisis robots it
(became) really exciting.

Welcome to Ellis County

Adams said the robotics team competes in First Robotics Competitions where robots are
designed to perform specific tasks. This project will not only test the abilities of each team
member in areas such as design, it will also provide students with real world experience that will
make an impact on the lives of people in the community.
Waxahachie Assistant Police Chief Mitch Bartley said the robot is going to assist officers when
have a hazardous warrant they have to serve, a barricaded person(s) or a bomb threat. Currently
the department has a few electronic devices that help such as thermal imaging to see if
someone is in a room or not and some smaller cameras.
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The robot that we are looking for and what we have discusses with these guys is going to
eliminate us from putting an officer in harms way. The robot will be able to go in there and use
video and audio to see what is going on, Bartley said. We can sit back and watch it from a safe
distance.
Bartley said they have talked with students about not making the robot fixed for one use only,
but make it adaptable for a variety of different tasks. However, no design has been finalized.
Bartley said he has been impressed with the knowledge and the ideas the students have shared
through their discussions.
Robotics Team Operations Officer Darrell Rasco said some of the ideas they have tossed around
http://www.waxahachietx.com/news/waxahachie/wgh-students-building-life-saving-robot-for-waxahachie-police/article_df99a79b-4a20-55f4-8818-fb8cb288b8ae.html

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5/29/2014

WGH students building life-saving robot for Waxahachie police - Waxahachie Daily Light: Waxahachie

include having a camera that can move 360 degrees so all views can be seen; having two way
audio and giving the robot the ability to climb steps and open doors. If the department were to
purchase a robot from a company it is estimated that it would cost around $20,000.
Students were given the opportunity to participate with the departments SWAT team during a
training exercise in order to gain first-hand knowledge.
We participated in an exercise with them and saw from different view points where the robot
would be used. For instance, what kind of capability it would need to open doors. Actually
experiencing the situation helped a lot with the research, Robotics Build Team Leader Chris
Reddig said. We have looked at the National Defense Research Group that develops robots for
the military. We have based a lot of our stuff off of that.
Robotics team member Hayley Maynard added other items they have looked at in incorporating
into the design includes making the robot water proof so it could not be knocked out of
commission by having water thrown on it and bullet proof. Currently, the design is being
worked out on paper but in the near future will be translated to CAD design software.
The students are designing the robot to be 60 pounds and 27 inches long so a single officer can
carry it at a scene. The prototype is on track to be completed by the end of January or February.
Det. Casey Borders said the department is going to ask larger departments who have robots to
come down the city to give a demonstration and to provide students with an opportunity to ask
questions. Borders added that the department is putting together a wish list of they want the
robot to do.
The team has applied for some grants but they have not arrived yet. Along with grant funding, if
anyone or business wishes to help with funding or materials their support is welcomed.
For more information about the Global High School Robotics Team No. 2805, The Wolf Pack,
you can visit its website at www.pack2805-frc.com.
Follow Andrew on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AndrewBrancaWDL or on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/AndrewBrancaWNI. Contact him at andrew.branca@wninews.com or 469-5171451

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WGH students building life-saving robot for Waxahachie police - Waxahachie Daily Light: Waxahachie

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