Students learn about rise of the robots

Grafenwöhr (Germany) Middle School student Stephen Tilzey, 12, controls a military robot Wednesday with the help of Sgt. Kristen Butcher, 24, of Redding, Calif., and a member of the 702nd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Detachment.


Students learn about rise of the robots
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Thursday, October 18, 2007


GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — Grafenwöhr middle-schooler Stephen Tilzey has been interested in robots since he was 5 or 6.

The 12-year-old has made robots with his dad — machines that “just hop around and move a bit,” and he’s built and programmed Lego Mindstorm robots at school this semester as part of a robotics elective class.

On Wednesday, Stephen and the rest of his class got firsthand experience with military explosive ordnance disposal robots brought to the school by soldiers from the Camp Normandy-based 702nd EOD Detachment.

“I need to learn the controls, but it won’t take long,” Stephen said as he used the remote controls to move a 700-pound RONS (Remote Ordnance Neutralization System) robot around the parking lot behind his school.

“I think robots might take over our military, but I don’t think they will ever be just like us,” he added.

Another middle-schooler, Connor Chroman, 13, said he hopes to work for NASA, a job that he expects will require some knowledge of robots.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=49578