SOCORRO, N.M. – Learning by doing – that’s the idea behind a six-week course for high school students going on this summer at New Mexico Tech. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) () STEM Academy is geared to engage students from elementary through high school and increase student interest in pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-related studies and career paths.

High school students from New Mexico and Arizona attending STEM Academy at New Mexico Tech this summer are learning mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science concepts as they design, build, and operate an autonomous system – a robot on wheels – to guide along a path to retrieve objects. The projects also involve mapping out a “maze,” with changeable terrain for the robot to maneuver through with walls, turns, and corners to navigate.

Students use computer-assisted design (CAD) to create their robot chassis and print pieces for it on a 3D printer before assembling them. Each robot has complex wiring telling it when to move and turn its wheels. Sensors act like eyes to detect walls, uneven terrain, and other obstacles in the maze.

Working on the coding for the robot involves mapping out the maze, determining how many spins the robot’s wheels will need to make as it navigates right, left, and sideways. Instructional data is loaded onto an SD (secure digital) card that can go from one robot to another to guide it to its objective.

While one team works on mapping the maze, the other STEM Academy team focuses on the grabbing arm for the robot – known by students as “The Claw.” Lucas Ward, a member of the arm’s design team, said his group considered four different designs for the retrieval arm to see which one works best.

“I personally think this will be the hardest part,” he said, adding that the mechanism is being designed to retrieve possibly dangerous objects. 

Ward said that participating in the summer academy is helping him learn basic electrical engineering and prepare for a possible STEM career. His teammate Misael Soto also said he sees the time spent at the academy as an investment in a possible career.

“I’m learning skills from this to use in the future,” he said.

Maia Brown-Weiss said that working on the robot project has been a fun experience for her, and she has two key takeaways.

“Learning how to code and design things,” she said.

According to Jett Emms, a mechanical engineering graduate student as well as program coordinator and AFRL STEM mentor, the high school students are eager to learn and work well in teams. The other teaching assistants from New Mexico Tech that work with STEM Academy students are Raechelle Sandoval, William Lucker, Isabella Wells, and Destiny Crawford.