Droid Rage

Report from the 'bot con.

by Ptah Gabrie

Slideshow: Ptah Gabrie's photos from Robot Day.

(CLICK IMAGES FOR LARGER VERSIONS)

Iflinched when a 20-pound robot was checked into the wall like a hockey player. Only a Plexiglas cage separated children and me from a machine that could kill. Wheels and other metal parts went flying as the helpless robot was pinned in the corner, then savagely beaten. The final blow caused an air tank to burst, and compressed gas spewed out like a steam engine — much to the enjoyment of the audience ... and me.

The Franklin Institute and the Northeast Robotics Club (NERC) teamed up to bring adult and teenage robot builders from America and Canada together at the Institute last weekend to show off their 'bots in a competition that pitted machine against machine in three-minute cage matches. The competitors for Robot Day were placed into four weight classes, and almost 40 robots ranging from 3 pounds to 30 pounds battled in gladiator-style combat.

The only thing louder than the sound of metal hitting metal was the sound of kids screaming in excitement. The battling robots fought with weaponry that included spinning blades, hammers and wedges. Sparks flew as one of the robots laid a metal cutting blade onto the topside of its opponent, only to be thwarted by a severe beating delivered by its opponent's pointy-ended robotic arm.

The Philadelphia Bomb Squad brought out its bomb-disarming robot — for exhibition, not competition — and let visitors interact with it. This black-and-chrome robot is definitely intimidating, but I found it strange to watch the arm, usually used to disarm or detonate explosives, hand a bottle of water to a child with delicate grace. "It's a necessary piece of equipment," said Officer Eric McClendon of the Philadelphia Bomb Squad. "It shows the technology and the capabilities of the Police Department." He invited me to take a ride on it. I held on tight as he jolted the robot forward. The audience, mostly kids, got a kick out of watching me hold on for dear life.

The kids from Wissahickon High School's Team 341 designed an award-winning, ball-shooting robot named Miss Daisy. Controlled by two joysticks, it challenged visitors to shoot balls over a bar and into a basket. I stood in line with a bunch of kids, some as young as 5. The children had no trouble operating Miss Daisy, but I couldn't get the balls in.

Al Kindle, organizer and a member of NERC, knows how important it is to get young people involved in technology. He has been building robots since 1995 and was a competitor at Robot Day. He believes that kids should get involved with programs like Partnerships for Achieving Careers in Technology and Science (PACTS) at the Franklin Institute because it gives them an experience that can get them interested in engineering and technology.

"The excitement attracts them," said Kindle. "They don't realize they are learning."

"It's a prelim for making better technology," adds robot coordinator Jacquette Calloway. "They have an input in the technology that can improve our future."