News

• WIRE Weekend Camp:  We are pleased to be presenting a weekend robotics camping experience, for children ages 9 - 16.  We will have Seminars on Robotics and Society, Programming Sessions using NXT-G and LabView software, Design and Build Sessions and a Mini Robotics Competition using this past year's FIRST Lego League Competition Models.  This is meant to be a fun yet educational weekend, you can even bring your parents if you want.  Cost is $40 per person and includes all of your meals.
  
  Sponsored in Part by:
  
  
  Dates:
  
  Arrival 6:00 PM                     May 21st
  All day Saturday                    May 22nd
  Leaving 1:00 PM Sunday       May 23rd
  
  Bring your sleeping bag and pillow!
  
  Call: 570-401-7813 for Info and Registration
  
  Camp Ferrwood Directions: Please follow this link: Ferrwood and then click on the about page, about half way down is the link for directions.
  
  Camp Schedule:
  
   

  Friday
  Check In	6:00 - 7:00 PM
  Introductions & Opening Remarks	7:00 - 7:30 PM
  First Robot Project	7:30 - 8:30 PM
  Movie (Robots/Snacks Included)	8:30 - 9:45 PM
  Clean Up	9:45 - 10:00 PM
  Lights Out	10:00 PM
  Saturday
  Wake Up	7:00 AM
  Breakfast	7:30 - 8:30 AM
  Second Robot Build	8:30 - 10:00 AM
  Introduction to this Year's Competition	10:00 - 10:30 AM
  Team Selection	10:30 - 10:45 AM
  Paper Design ( the Initial Design put down on paper )	10:45 - 11:30 AM
  Design Approval and Redesign	11:30 - 12:00 Noon
  Lunch	12:00 - 1:00 PM
  Special Guest: John Kowalchizk  Product Engineer for Ametek	12:00 - 1:00 PM
  Begin Competition Robot Build	1:00 - 3:00 PM
  Build Approval and Rebuild	3:00 -4:45 PM
  Clean Up	4:45 - 5:00 PM
  Dinner	5:00 - 6:00 PM
  A Robotic Conversation	6:00 - 7:00 PM
  Special Guest: Thomas Russell Junior At Penn State	6:00 - 7:00 PM
  Continue Competition Build	7:00 -8:30 PM
  Movie ( Wall-e/Snacks Included )	8:30 - 10:00 PM
  Clean Up	10:00 - 10:15 PM
  Lights Out	10:30 PM
  Sunday
  Wake Up	7:00 AM
  Breakfast	7:30 - 8:30 AM
  Finish Robot Build	8:30 - 10:00 AM
  Program Robots	10:00 - 11:00 AM
  Competition Rounds	11:00 - 12:30 PM
  Clean Up and Pack Up	12:30 - 1:00 PM
  Departure	1:00 PM

  
  Menu
  
  Friday Snack
  
  Hot Dogs w/Sauerkraut, Mustard, Onions, Chili Sauce
  Taco Chips & Salsa
  Cookies
  Cup Cakes
  Drinks: Hot Chocolate/ Coffee/ Tea/ Milk and Juices
  Fruit: Assorted: Apples/ Bananas/ Orange Slices/ Cantaloupe/ Grapes etc..

  Saturday Breakfast
  
  Scrambled Eggs/ Bacon / Sausage Patties/ Home Fries
  Cereal: Honey Nut Cheerios/ Raisin Brand/ Special K w/Berries
  Toast: White/ Rye/ Whole Wheat
  Spreads: Butter/ Grape or Raspberry Jelly
  Juice: Orange/ Tomato/ Apple/ Grape
  Coffee/ Tea/ Hot Chocolate
  
  Saturday Lunch
  
  Hoagies: 6" with a variety of Filling
  Coffee/ Tea/ Hot Chocolate
  Cookies/ Cup Cakes
  
  Saturday Dinner
  
  Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce
  Tossed Salad - Lettuce/ Cucumber/ Tomatoes (sliced onions optional)
  Garlic Bread and Butter
  Fruit Salad & Cup Cakes
  
  Saturday Night Snacks
  
  Toasted Marshmallows/ Smores
  Popcorn/ Chips and Dip
  
  Sunday Breakfast
  
  Bagels/Toast
  Spreads: Cream Cheese/ Butter/ Grape or Raspberry Jelly
  Assorted Doughnuts
  Coffee/ Tea/ Milk/ Juice
  
   

• FTC Demonstration Competition in Erie PA:  April 24th at the Rolling Ridge Elementary School in the Harborcreek School District.  Ten teams that are all rookie teams formed with the help of a GE grant will try their robots out in this year's FTC competition HotShot.  While this is an after season event all of these teams hope to compete in the Erie Regional Qualifier next season.  Good luck to all!
  
  Here is a video that can be run on Windows Media Player that might help you in using the LabView software to program your bot!
  
  Click HERE for the video.
   

• T. Boone Pickens has introduced a "Plan to Escape the Grip of Foreign Oil" that involves solar, wind and natural gas alternative energy sources.  All of these are possibilities here in Pennsylvania.  Especially the Natural Gas reserves available for use under our native shale.  In our area wind on the ridge tops is also a key component for producing alternate sources of non polluting energy.

  

  Go to PickensPlan.com for more info.

• Carrying on the tradition of offering unique educational opportunities to our students, The Weatherly Institute for Robotics and Engineering went to Wilkes University, in Wilkes-Barre, PA on October 1, 2008 to hear a distinguished Inventor, Entrepreneur and Environmental concerned gentleman speak about his recent experiences in developing a viable electric car and the company that makes them, Mr. Martin Eberhard.  Our students had the chance to ask Mr. Eberhard questions in both the follow up question session at the end of his lecture and the post event reception.

      

• Summer Camp has come to a close, but the Theme of "The South Seas Island Adventure" will continue on throughout the winter.  The Water Table is under construction and the High School students have finished the design phase of our submersible "bot" and have
  begun the "build."

• Our Fall and Winter sessions have begun!

  It's time to get our First Lego League team together for this year's competition: "The Climate Challenge"  The Field mat and models have been ordered.  This year we will be using all of the power of the NXT kits!

       

• The Kick Off for the FTC teams has taken place,  this year's exciting game is "Face Off", and teams are already beginning to email their intentions of coming to the FIRST Tech PA State Robotics Championship to take place on February 28th, 2009 at the Weatherly Area Middle School Complex.  This year is especially exciting in that we will be using the new Robotics Kit "Tetrix", a very sophisticated metal kit with properties very similar to the FRC bots of the past.

  Check the Calendar Page for times and ages for our programs.

  We meet at the Weatherly Institute for Robotics and Engineering
  320 Carbon Street, Weatherly, PA  18255