Absolutely inspirational (in true nerd fashion, no less :-). Thanks for this.
Brent Keith Johnson <keithbjohn...@comcast.net> writes: >Kewl! Over the holidays I watched a PBS special about a robot >competition. In this one, teams built all kind of devices to shoot a >bunch of balls into a net. Some teams built really nimble shooters, >others built bulky beasts. And some built good defensive systems. The >show detailed how the high school teams had to learn about project >management, deadlines, how to recover from problems in crisis situations, >etc. and just like any exciting sporting event, the final competition was >actually quite thrilling. I'd like to see the Spelman team compete... > >*************************************************** > >http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=articles/news/the_state_of_black_america_news/16558 > >Living Black History: Spelman's SpelBots Amaze > > >Date: Monday, February 22, 2010, 6:32 am >By: Patrice Gaines, Special to BlackAmericaWeb.com > > > >EDITORÕS NOTE: As part of our ÒLiving Black HistoryÓ series in observance >of Black History Month, this week, BlackAmericaWeb.com will celebrate >blacks in education. > >Andrew Williams had a vision. Spelman College believed in it. And the >result is a team of fierce young women who are earning an international >reputation by going toe-to-toe with more experienced graduate level teams >in games of high technology. They are the SpelBots, first all-female and >all-African-American team to qualify for the prestigious senior league of >Robocup. > >Not quite six years after founding the group, Williams, their founder and >coach, says the SpelBots are Òbreaking barriers and paving the way for >other black women and for Spelman to one day win the international >championship.Ó > >Members of the team, mostly computer science and engineering majors, >conduct research and education projects in robotics and compete >internationally in robot soccer competition. The team is attracting young >women to Spelman who were pleased to find that the college offers an >innovative way to learn cutting edge technology. > >ÒI had been on the robotics team in high school,Ó said Jazmine Miller, >the teamÕs co-captain and a junior who is a dual computer science and >computer engineering major. ÒI was always interested in computer science >and love video games. I found robotics very interesting.Ó > >Jonecia Keels, the teamÕs other co-captain and also a computer science >and computer engineering major, said, ÒI saw (the SpelBots) give a >presentation during freshman convocation, and I thought about how they >were breaking stereotypes. By being a part of SpelBots, I thought it >would show the world that minorities can bring a lot to the table in >technology.Ó > >Coach Williams is the first and only African-American thus far to receive >a PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Kansas. He was >teaching at the University of Iowa, where he had just two black students >in five years, when he read the popular best-selling Rick Warren book, >"The Purpose Driven Life." The book made Williams start to ponder what he >wanted to accomplish with his own life. > >ÒI realized my purpose was to help African-American students reach their >potential,Ó he said. > >He had already returned to school to get his PhD. because he wanted to be >a role model for students. ÒAt the time, during the mid Ô90s, we were >having the big dot-com boom, but I didnÕt see many African-Americans >becoming instant millionaires,Ó he said. So Williams and his wife and >their children moved from Iowa to Atlanta so he could fulfill his purpose. > >First, Williams introduced students to four-legged robots that looked >like cute little puppies. > >ÒI thought they could spark interest in students because they were cute,Ó >he said. ÒStudents could get visual and tactile feedback on programming. >I was concerned that sometimes our students arenÕt taught in ways that >cater to their learning style.Ó > >Team members spend some 10 hours a week on projects. But when preparing >for competition, that time can triple. The first year of competition, >they discovered most of their opponents were graduate schools. The >SpelBots qualified to participate in the international contests in Japan, >but they didnÕt win any matches. > >Last year, the team had a controversial first place tie in the RoboCup >Japan 2009 Standard Platform Nao League humanoid soccer championship in >Osaka, Japan. It was a well-earned honor to even be invited by the >RoboCup Japan organization to participate in its first humanoid robot >competition. In these contests, teams play their opponents in soccer with >robots programmed with artificial intelligence and operated without the >use of remote controls. > >The SpelBots tied five matches and were playing the championship round >against Fukuoka Institute of Japan. They tied and had to > >..... go into a penalty kick situation. Williams said, ÒIf we could have >done sudden death, we would have won. But they picked up our robot just >as it was about to kick.Ó > >A kick would have meant a win. Williams challenged the ending. >"The organizer started yelling at us,Ó said Williams, who insisted his >team receive proof of their standing. ÒThey gave us documentation showing >we tied.Ó > >Neither the SpelBots nor the Fukuoka team was mentioned during the awards >ceremony. But SpelBots co-captain Jazmine Miller went on the Japanese >teamÕs Web site and found out they had put up information saying Fukuoka >had won. > >The SpelBots have put the contest on YouTube for all to see, and they >have their documentation to prove that the tournament at least >acknowledged a tie. > >ÒWhile some in the international community are supportive of us, we have >also learned the hard way that global racism and sexism does exist,Ó >Williams noted. > >Still, the student team members say they are reaping amazing benefits >from being SpelBots. > >ÒHonestly, the benefits are limitless,Ó said Miller. ÒIÕve been able to >travel, learn a lot of programming applications É and be with a group of >people who continue to empower and encourage me.Ó > >ÒWeÕre able to do graduate level work,Ó added Jonecia Keels. ÒHow many >people can say they work on a $17,000 robot? This has boosted our >confidence level immensely. It has inspired us to work on our own >projects. It has given us the opportunity to get internships.Ó > >Williams makes sure the students have an opportunity to also encourage >other youths. > >ÒWeÕve gone as far as California to speak to middle school students,Ó he >said. ÒStudents treat them like rock stars. We get a chance to inspire >under represented students to pursue science and engineering.Ó > >Just this month, the team was honored during a Black History celebration >at an Atlanta Hawks game. > >To hopefully encourage even more black youths, Williams wrote a book >called "Out of the Box: Building Robots, Transforming Lives." > >ÒI grew up on the low-income side of Junction City, Kansas. IÕm the >youngest of six kids. My dad is African-American; my mother is from >Korea,Ó said Williams. ÒWe had a two-bedroom trailer, and I slept in a >cardboard box as a baby. I try to encourage students not to let people >put them in a box of low expectations and not to put themselves in a box >because of fear of failure.Ó > >ÒI was intimidated at first because I didnÕt think I was capable,Ó said >Keels, speaking of her high school experience. ÒThe more I learned, the >easier it became. It was challenging and demanding but it wasnÕt out of >reach.Ó > >Both Miller and Keels intend to pursue careers as entrepreneurs. Keels >has already designed an app that was offered by Apple for its iPhones. > >ÒIf you have a passion for the technology field, donÕt be discouraged or >intimidated if you donÕt see many African-American faces,Ó said Keels. >ÒYou are just as intelligent as anyone else. We need to step outside the >box and show people we are capable.ÓÊ
