PTC hosts high school students' robotics scrimmage

Last Friday, PTC hosted two teams of high school students in a robotics scrimmage. Students from Pine City High School and Rush City High School met at PTC and went head-to-head in a friendly competition to help them prepare for a season of robotics competitions that starts in January and ends in April. The upcoming competition is part of the prestigious VEX Robotics Competition - a global program with more than 2600 teams from more than 20 countries playing in more than 200 tournaments worldwide.

PTC is providing more than just a venue for the teams to practice; PTC and the 360⁰ Manufacturing and Applied Engineering Center of Excellence (a consortium of 10 MnSCU institutions led by Bemidji State University -- of which PTC is a member), are organizing and introducing Central Minnesota's own mini-league of participating VEX robotics teams, to be known as the 360⁰ Robotics Competition, or RC.

Jodie Klinkhammer, Assistant to the Dean of Student Affairs and Student Affairs Office Manager at PTC, is spearheading PTC's involvement and organization of the RC and says the support of technical programs that encourage the region's youth is critical for the sustainment of rural industry.

"Robotics competitions, like the one these students are preparing for, are effective in inspiring students to pursue careers and the study of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields," says Klinkhammer. "Industries owe much of their success to innovative engineers, and those engineers often are impressed and influenced in their youth through events like this," Klinkhammer adds.

The PCHS and RCHS robotics teams that scrimmaged on Friday are two of the newly-formed RC teams. PTC and the 360⁰Manufacturing and Applied Engineering Center of Excellence are providing the teams with the equipment to design and build their starter robot, and PTC also is providing limited technical support. The teams will compete in their tournament in St. Cloud, Minn., Feb. 23.

TOP PHOTO: Students from Pine City High School and Rush City High School operate a robotic machine in an arena.

MIDDLE PHOTO: A PTC computer programming student and the robotics team coach, Tom Kloeckl, troubleshoot a mechanical issue with the robot.

BOTTOM PHOTO: High school students, with Coach Tom Kloeckl, proudly pose with the robot their team built.