Robotics & Engineering Technology

Program Description

Do you ever wonder how things work? Do you want to solve innovative problems creatively or work with technology to improve our lives? Robotics & Engineering Technology will teach you not only to think outside the box, but will give you the skills to redesign the box entirely for yourself. Our students engage in an advanced curriculum focused all aspects of engineering. Students enrolled in the program are exposed to a wide range of concepts blending mechanical, electrical, civil, and robotics engineering. This project-based curriculum encourages students of all ability levels to use math, science and technology principles to solve real-world problems. In order to develop their critical thinking and problem solving skills, students will train on state-of-the-art robotics, manufacturing and structural analysis equipment. This department’s goal is to provide a comprehensive experience for those students interested in pursuing a secondary degree in a STEM-related field as well as those planning to join the workforce immediately after high school.

The Robotics & Engineering Technology shop is a certified Project Lead the Way pre-engineering program. Project Lead The Way Inc. (PLTW) is a national program forming partnerships among Public Schools, Higher Education Institutions and the Private Sector to increase the quantity and quality of engineers and engineering technologists graduating from our educational system. The program offers a hands-on, project-based approach to learning that better prepares students for the rigors of college. The program incorporates science, technology skills, engineering and math (STEM curriculum) needed for success. Students participating in PLTW programs are better prepared for college engineering programs and more likely to be successful in those programs.

Program Description

Do you ever wonder how things work? Do you want to solve problems creatively and work with technology to improve our lives? Robotics & Engineering Technology students engage in an advanced curriculum comprising a survey of various engineering subjects. Students enrolled in the program are exposed to mechanical, electrical, civil, aerospace, industrial and robotics engineering. This project-based curriculum encourages students of all ability levels to use math, science, and technology principles to solve real-world problems. In order to develop their critical thinking and problem solving skills, students will train on state-of-the-art computerized, manufacturing, and structural analysis equipment. 

Students in this program will regularly build their understanding of the language of mathematics in their every-day work. Students will regularly use computer-based 3D modeling software, the Arduino coding language, and the Engineering Design Process. They will engage in a mixture of individual and partner work, and will see an approximate 50-50 split between computer-based work and hands-on work. 

This department’s goal is to provide a comprehensive experience for those students interested in pursuing a secondary degree in a STEM-related field as well as those planning to join the workforce immediately after high school.

The Robotics & Engineering Technology shop is a certified Project Lead the Way pre-engineering program. Project Lead The Way Inc. (PLTW) is a national program forming partnerships among Public Schools, Higher Education Institutions and the Private Sector to increase the quantity and quality of engineers and engineering technologists graduating from our educational system. The program offers a hands-on, project-based approach to learning that better prepares students for the rigors of college. The program incorporates science, technology skills, engineering and math (STEM curriculum) needed for success. Students participating in PLTW programs are better prepared for college engineering programs and more likely to be successful in those programs.

Instructed Areas

• 3D modeling with Autodesk Fusion software
• Programming with Arduino
• Engineering design process
• Engineering graphics and spatial visualization
• Statistics
• Mechanisms, materials, and alternative energy
• 3D printing
• Laser cutting
• Digital electronics circuit design and testing
• DC motor optimization
• Balsa bridge design and build
• Balsa bridge structural analysis
• Principles of engineering
• Hydraulic mechanisms, principles and operation
• Catapults and trebuchets
• Drone flight and operations
• 5-axis robot arm operation and programming
• Game design
• Computer integrated manufacturing
• Robotic workcell design and programming
• Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM)
• Basic CNC mill operation
• Mechatronic operation and design
• Pneumatic system operation and design
• Aerospace engineering
• Civil and architectural engineering
• Industrial robot programming and operation
• Model rocketry

Program of Study

Freshman Year:

Students will learn the safety procedures necessary to complete tasks in the shop, understand the basics of 3D modeling in Autodesk Fusion which is an industry-standard program, complete introductory lessons in 3D printing and laser cutting, and will learn how to use the various measurement tools in the shop. These lessons set a foundation of skills for the rest of their high school career in shop. They will create a physical game of their own design, and craft a gift for a classmate. 

Sophomore Year:

Students will complete a physics-based investigation of the classic Six Simple Machines, and then learn how to calculate mechanical advantage, and efficiency of mechanisms. These basic machines are at the core of all engineered objects, and are thus foundational to the program. Students will continue on to the study of strength of materials which culminates in a balsa bridge competition. Typical bridges that the students design and build weigh mere ounces, but support well over 100 pounds. Along the way, students will earn an OSHA certification, get an introduction to Arduino programming, and continue their studies in 3D modeling using Fusion. Leveraging these skills, they progress to learning the concepts of hydraulic mechanisms. They also build their math skills, using basic statistical analysis to quantify the accuracy and precision of a custom-built trebuchet. Finally, they see if they have the right stuff to safely launch a model rocket and retrieve it intact. 

Junior Year:

Automation is the overarching theme for the junior year. Students start the year off with high-flying drone action, learning the technical side of this cutting-edge technology, and they may optionally study to earn the FAA Drone Operator pilot license. They continue their 3D modeling practice, culminating in an industry-standard Autodesk Certification. Students work with 5-axis robotic arms, design automated work cells using various forms of conveyors, and learn how to use their Arduino programming skills to automate a pneumatic material handler. They learn how to properly design objects intended for manufacturing on a 3-axis CNC milling machine, and design and make their own CNC-milled objects.

Senior Year:

The final year of shop starts out with a deep dive into architectural modeling and design, where students learn how to create physical and computer-based models of single-family homes. They get a chance to use the shop’s wind tunnel, testing small models for lift and drag. Students use their robust programming skills to automate a process using the shop’s Kuka 6-axis robot arm, an industry-standard device. They use their 3D modeling skills to model a custom gripper for the Kuka, and fabricate it using the shop’s bank of 3D printers. They finish off the year designing a model rocket that will launch an egg hundreds of feet in the air, and return it safely to the earth. 

Career Opportunities

After high school:

• CAD Technician
• Engineering Technician
• Mechatronics Technician
• Robot Operator
• Manufacturing Technician
• Electronics Assembly Technician

With further education and/or certification:

• Product Designer
• Roboticist
• Aerospace Engineer
• Electrical Engineer
• Computer Engineer
• Mechanical Engineer
• Industrial Engineer
• Civil Engineer
• Architect
• Project Manager
• Physicist
• Air Traffic Controller
• Aviation Mechanic
• Professional Pilot