DIGITAL YARDtm ROBOTICS
Engineering a New Jamaicatm
Frequently asked questions
Why is Digital Yard promoting Robotics?
Robotics requires many disciplines that are integral to the Digital Yard mission and execution strategy:
LEADERSHIP * COOPERATIVE TEAMWORK * SOFTWARE PROFICIENCY * PROGRAMMING DEVELOPMENT * CONSTRUCTION DESIGN * MECHANICAL ENGINEERING * ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING * RESEARCH * PROBLEM SOLVING * CRITICAL THINKING *
These skill sets are all required to achieve our mission of producing the next generation of Nation Builders necessary for the merit based Innovation Economy we envisage for Jamaica.
Why the competitive aspect? Why not just teach those disciplines in the classroom?
Robotics competitions have been demonstrated to inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). These contests are expanding rapidly in the education arena in the developed world. Robots allow students to experiment and learn applied sciences even while studying technical disciplines. Additionally, robotics is gender neutral - a substantial percentage of students involved is female.
Digital Yard Robotics competitions will feature (as in the US FIRST model) large crowds, cheering, music & banner displays in support of teams. This creates tremendous excitement which we normally only see at sporting events like Champs or the Penn Relays.
It is this excitement about science that Digital Yard seeks to nurture to benefit tens of thousands of students, for their own development and Jamaica's gain as well.
Why associate with US FIRST Robotics?
US FIRST is the leading promoter of robotics to high and primary school age students in the USA. The missions of US FIRST and Digital Yard are complementary and that organization has provided invaluable technical assistance to enable our progress to date. We expect the association to continue.
Does Digital Yard include programs other than robotics?
We have found that robotics is tremendously energizing and exciting for students and schools so Digital Yard is leading with this program at the moment. There are other projects being considered which can be viewed in our marketing presentation. Integral to robotics will be proficiency with Siemens CAD software and also design competitions allowing students to develop solutions for real world problems.
We welcome suggestions from anyone regarding projects to encourage children in STEM careers.
Why is Siemens involved and what is the role of their technology?
Siemens produces world class Computer Aided Design (CAD) Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) technology. These solutions together form a global standard in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software. Siemens' PLM solutions are used worldwide by transnational companies like Boeing and General Electric through tiny start ups in neighborhood garages.... to design, manufacture and manage products.
Siemens has made versions of their technology freely available to students and it is the most widely adopted PLM tool set in universities worldwide. Digital Yard has strong links to Siemens and intends to utilize the software in all our projects to develop the proficiency of as many of our children as possible with these cutting edge tools.
Students who master this software in design / build applications like Digital Yard Robotics, will be significantly ahead on a STEM career path.
Robots sound expensive...what does it cost for schools to participate?
Fortunately costs are moderate. Digital Yard Robotics focuses on the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) level of competition but our program is located in Jamaica. The FTC kit of parts is available from Lego Education and costs approximately $1000. Some teams may wish additional parts for their particular robot solution but this typically adds less than $200. The robot is broken down at the end of the season and the same parts re-used for the next game..so there is no need to purchase additional kits unless the team wants to expand to a second or third robot unit.
Considering other costs like a game field, construction material and registration fees, a reasonable first year estimate is around US$2000. With most of that as one time costs..... following years would cost much less....perhaps $800/year. Please note that these estimates do not include transportation, accommodation or subsistence costs for teams traveling to the competitions.
Digital Yard is building partnerships with school alumni organizations, non profits and corporations to underwrite most if not all these costs to ensure the widest possible participation in our competitions. These partnerships will be announced throughout 2012.
Who runs the Robotics Competition? When does it start?
Digital Yard has existing partnerships with two major universities in Jamaica which are now assimilating Siemens PLM technology in their academic programs. The universities will assist in the competition organization as well as nurture the high schools participating by boosting their technical capacity in robot construction and operations.
Our execution model assumes that Digital Yard will enable knowledge transfer directly from tertiary institutions to secondary schools in an incubator type relationship.
The current projected launch date for the inaugural Digital Yard Robotics Competition is January 2013.
I'm interested...how can I help?
Thanks for your interest. Our mission is extensive and important so we need all the help we can get. Digital Yard is a not-for-profit volunteer organization dependent on donations or grant funding. There are multiple ways people can participate in achieving our mission. We encourage you to contact us by clicking here
