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Robotics Challenge

The Alma Robotics Challenge is an invitational robotics tournament using the Lego MindStorms Robotics Platform.  Teams construct a robotic bird that tries to collect as many eggs as it can and return them to its nest. To make things interesting, it has an opponent which is trying to do the same thing. Interested?  Check out the Robotics Challenge Video, available in high quality (61.1 MB) or lower quality (13.1 MB).

This year's challenge will be held on Thursday, March 27, 2008. Contact Dr. Myles McNally for information on how your high school could participate in this free event. Alma College will even provide the robot kits for your school!

There will be a teacher-coach workshop at Alma College this December.  Teachers new to the contest are encouraged to attend, and veterans can attend to brush up on their programming skills.  Contact Dr. McNally for details.

Competitors in previous Robotics Challenges include teams from the following schools:

Alma High School
Breckenridge High School
Birch Run High School
Carson City - Crystal High School
Chelsea High School

Cranbrook Academy
Montabella High School
St. Louis High School
Thornapple Kellogg High School
Vestaburg High School


The image below shows the basic contest setup. The contest presentation has all the details on this year's contest, and also has an introduction to Lego robotics programming using NQC.

Contest photographs from previous years are available in a web album, and the contest presentation is also available in PowerPoint format.

 

 

Thirty-four percent of Alma students participate in intercollegiate athletics. Alma College competes at the NCAA Division III level as a member of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the oldest existing athletic conference in the nation.

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Graduate Profile

Alyson Crabtree

Alyson Crabtree
Graduation: 1990
Major: Computer Science

Alyson Crabtree started computer programming in high school. After struggling with her college decision, she decided to pursue her dream at Alma College.

“When I was looking for colleges, I was determined to get far away from home and assert my independence,” the 1990 graduate says. “To me, that meant getting out of Michigan. I visited some New England schools and was planning on heading east. But Alma kept pestering me, and when I objectively looked at what it had to offer, it met all of my criteria — liberal arts, computer science major and a small school.”

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