Waterloo high school reveals new robot
St. David Catholic Secondary School’s robotics Team Dave, unveiled their newest robot, MORGAN, to a crowd of family and friends on Thursday.
MORGAN is the thirteenth machine built by Team Dave.
“I think MORGAN has amazing chances at the competitions. I don’t want to jinx anything, but I think we could do really well,” said Barbara Magolon, the lead admin.
The robot will compete against other high school teams at local events in March. The machines score points based on how efficiently they perform certain tasks. Last year's competition was focussed on throwing an object into a goal. This year, the challenge is picking up an object and placing it in a certain spot.
“We have a bunch of different spots where we pick and place pieces on the field. There are also different shaped pieces, and have different orientations when they fall over, so it’s really interesting for designing the robot,” said Emma Lehmann, a grade 12 student with Team DAVE.
Last year the team qualified for the world competition in Texas, but couldn’t compete due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Lehmann said despite that disappointment, it has made the anticipation for qualifying this time all the better.
“It’s like marked on my calendar with a big X. I’m super excited for it,” Lehmann said.
Lehmann said she wasn’t interested in engineering at first but after joining Team Dave, she’s learned of the possibilities it offers and is applying to post-secondary engineering programs.
“It’s helped me fall in love with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) and Engineering,” Lehmann said.
Team DAVE is made up of 38 students and roughly 13 mentors. The mentors are adults from outside the school that volunteer their time to help. Barbara Magolon, a long time mentor and the current Lead Admin on Team DAVE, said seeing the impact they have is worth all the work.
“Honestly, the students, just seeing them so excited every year, it just brings so much fulfillment,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian family stuck in Lebanon anxiously awaits flight options amid Israeli strikes
A Canadian man who is trapped in Lebanon with his family says they are anxiously waiting for seats on a flight out of the country, as a barrage of Israeli airstrikes continues.
Suspect in shooting of Toronto cop was out on bail
A 21-year-old man who was charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a Toronto police officer this week was out on bail at the time of the alleged offence, court documents obtained by CTV News Toronto show.
Scientists looked at images from space to see how fast Antarctica is turning green. Here's what they found
Parts of icy Antarctica are turning green with plant life at an alarming rate as the region is gripped by extreme heat events, according to new research, sparking concerns about the changing landscape on this vast continent.
DEVELOPING 2 dead after fire rips through historic building in Old Montreal
At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building near Montreal's City Hall, sources told Noovo Info.
Yazidi woman captured by ISIS rescued in Gaza after more than a decade in captivity
A 21-year-old Yazidi woman has been rescued from Gaza where she had been held captive by Hamas for years after being trafficked by ISIS.
A 6-year-old girl was kidnapped in Arkansas in 1995. Almost 30 years later, a suspect was identified
Nearly 30 years after a six-year-old girl disappeared in Western Arkansas, authorities have identified a suspect in her abduction through DNA evidence.
Dolphins 'smile' at each other when they play and to avoid misunderstanding, study finds
For humans, flashing a smile is an easy way to avoid misunderstanding. And, according to a new study, bottlenose dolphins may use a similar tactic while playing with each other.
Pit bulls in B.C. pet mauling tested positive for meth, cocaine, says city
Three pit bulls involved in a deadly attack on another dog last month in Kamloops, B.C., tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine, and the city is going to court to have them put down.
Tax rebate: Canadians with low to modest incomes to receive payment on Friday
Canadians who are eligible for a GST/HST tax credit can expect their final payment of the year on Friday.