Tag: robotics

DANIELSON, CT —The Robotics Team from Quinebaug Valley Community College, winner of last year’s NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium Community College Quadcopter Challenge, will host NASA’s Connecticut Space Grant Consortium Community College Spring Robotics Competition. The competition will be held on Friday, April 26 in the Quinebaug Valley Middle College gymnasium from 12-3pm.

Two QVCC teams will compete on Friday: 3L2R and the Rock Wobblers. Team Rock Wobblers is comprised of members Julia Boyce of Foster, RI (General Studies), Becca Cuff of Jewett City, CT (Biology), Garret Sward or Putnam, CT (Engineering Science) and Treye Chaney of Putnam, CT (General Studies). Team 3L2R is comprised of members Andrew Tingley of Dayville, CT (Engineering Science), Austin Grimshaw of Plainfield, CT (Computer Networking), Spencer Terwilliger of Danielson, CT (Computer Networking), and Joshua Robichaud of Danielson, CT (Technology Studies w/ Mechatronics Certificate).

Also participating will be Team Quad Squad from Northwestern Connecticut Community College, comprised of members Doug Hoffman (Lead), Amana Gregg, James Ivain, Tommy Le, Melissa Mallem, and Nathanial Reynolds. Additionally, Team New England Rotors from Three Rivers Community College will compete, comprised of members Yevhen Rutovytskyy (Lead), Jonathan Bermudez, Kevin Peterson, Nathaniel Reigles and Adam Rugh.

The approximate schedule is as follows:

• 12:00 – 12:30pm: Lunch and team setup
• 12:30 – 12:40pm: Welcome and Introduction
• 12:40 – 1:15pm: Video and demonstration of rotor protection, camera mount, and unique capability
• 1:15 – 1:45pm: Multi-pilot flight
• 1:45 – 2:45pm: Close-up imaging and exploration (environmental parameter logging, sample return and mapping)
• 2:45 – 3:00pm: Certificates for participating teams and closing remarks

The Robotics Team from Quinebaug Valley Community College, winner of the last three NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium Community College Quadcopter Challenges, presented at the Student Poster Session of the NASA National Council of Space Grant Directors in Arlington, VA on March 1, 2019.

QVCC Quadcopter Challenge team members include James Laudon ’18, Jacob Parent, Zeke Parent, Emily Rosaci and Andrew Tingley. QVCC was the only community college among eight groups selected from two-year and four-year institutions across the nation. The team made the trip to the Washington, D.C. area with Team Advisor and Space Grant Campus Director, Jakob Spjut to present their work.

Team members and brothers Jacob and Zeke Parent, Woodstock, CT shared that they were fortunate to have met students from all over the country. “To name a few, there were groups from Montana, Oregon, Iowa, and even Alaska,” said Jacob Parent. Zeke Parent shared that the team met representatives from NASA, who are also interested in visiting QVCC to tour the Advanced Manufacturing Center where the quadcopter was created. “We proved to everyone that community colleges have huge potential and can compete at the level of big four-year schools,” said Parent. As members of the Robotics Club at QVCC, Jacob and Zeke agree that the hands-on experience with coding and CAD software has prepared them for real life applications, such as the Student Quadcopter Challenge.

Two QVCC student teams will compete in the 2019 Community College Quadcopter Challenge, hosted by the NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium at QVCC in late April.