Jan. 14. 2024
By Dana Treier
Webmaster
What exactly are robots? How is this type of technology coded? And how are robots used in the world?
These questions and more were answered on Dec. 14 when 35 students from the Environmental Science Honors Dual Enrollment class, Environmental Club and Robotics Club visited Liberty Science Center in Jersey City.
During this field trip, students attended a one-hour workshop in which they learned how to code a Sphero robot that could assist with professional tasks. After the workshop, the students had three hours to explore the museum’s exhibits, which included the da Vinci Robotic Surgery exhibit, Great Train Set, Infinity Climber, Pixel Art and Touch Tunnel.
Robotics Club advisor Mr. Belmont said the field trip provided scientific learning opportunities students could apply to their lives.
“Students got a good grasp of basic coding using JavaScript, which is a programming language, and then [learned] how that translates to physical robots,” Belmont said.
He said Liberty Science Center was a good destination for the club’s first field trip.
“The coding of the rolling robot, the different hydrologic systems that are used today, the ideas to bring the woolly mammoth back to life and all the other presentations I saw all make me think about the future of Earth.”
“I hope [the students] leaned into other scientific interests by exploring the other exhibits at Liberty Science Center, and hopefully they got to meet some other club members and have an enjoyable social time as well,” Belmont said.
“There really is something for everybody there because science is such a vast subject.”
Senior Nicole Graziani, who is vice president of the Environmental Club and a student in Ms. Manzella’s Environmental Science Honors Dual Enrollment class, said the field trip enhanced her understanding of problem-solving as it relates to research, equations and tests.
“Problem-solving is needed in any field, so practicing this skill in STEM is preparing us for the real world and what we will face,” Graziani said.
She said an aspect of the field trip that especially interested her was learning about the use of robots in taking close-up photos of animals.
“It was interesting to hear about how [photographers] use it to preserve the environment as much as possible because it prevents humans from making footprints and stepping on plants,” Graziani said.
Graziani said she also enjoyed the coding workshop.
“I don’t have a lot of experience in programming, but figuring out how to move the robot using code was really interesting,” Graziani said. “The trip showed me a different side of technology and that it is not as simple as just moving a robot with a controller…. Robots are programmed with different code, and it is crucial that it is done correctly.”
Senior Joshua Machcinski, who is president of the Robotics Club, said he is happy he got the chance to visit Liberty Science Center.
“The coding of the rolling robot, the different hydrologic systems that are used today, the ideas to bring the woolly mammoth back to life and all the other presentations I saw all make me think about the future of Earth,” Machcinski said.
He said Liberty Science Center was a good destination because it exposed students to various aspects of STEM.
“It takes time to take in so much information, especially since the STEM world is expanding as scientists discover more and more things,” Machcinski said. “It doesn’t hurt to educate yourself even if the STEM field is not a field you want your career to be in.”
