Computer science graduate student leads champion robotics team
"Most children know how to shoot basketballs, but designing and building a robot to successfully shoot baskets from 12 feet away using small foam balls takes a bit more knowledge and skill.
The Clawson Middle School robotics team took home two awards with robots they built in a statewide competition that set up the basket-shooting challenge.
"To be recognized with two awards in the state competitions is a pretty big thing," said Steve Carpenter, a computer programer who advises the team along with his twin brother Dan Carpenter.
Steve and Dan Carpenter are 2012 graduates of Clawson High School. Steve is working on his master's degree in computer science at Wayne State University and his brother is majoring in science education at Wayne State.
Robotics students and the Carpenter brothers work together on robotics on their own time on from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
"We're in the off-season now," Steve Carpenter said. "We're teaching the kids CAD (computer aided drawing) to prepare ourselves for next year.""