One team, two robots, and several foam balls of varying size were what Edina Robotics FIRST Team 1816 – The Green Machine took with them to sponsor PTC’s Blaine, MN, headquarters on Friday, August 5th. It was PTC’s annual Family Day, a well-attended occasion including everything from donuts to face painting to, of course, FIRST robot demos. In addition to basketball-throwing 2012 robot Zephyr and boulder-shooting 2016 robot Zenith, The Green Machine brought a FIRST LEGO League set so that kids could try their hand at building little bots and watch pre-built LEGO ‘bots race around a small enclosure.
Set up alongside The Green Machine was Team 3407 – Mustybots of Mounds View, just as eager to explain to PTC employees and their families just what FIRST is all about. For many, it seemed to be a great chance to get a glimpse in to FIRST as a program for the very first time.
PTC Family Day truly lived up to its name. Children were delighted at the opportunity to interact with the robots from a safe distance by catching balls thrown by the robots and rolling them back for robots or team members to collect. More than one child was overheard tugging on a parent’s arm and asking, “When can we go see the robots?”
Surveying the scene, Kevin Tanner, PTC Vice President-Presales Americas, said that PTC was “proud to be teamed up with 1816” not only because of the interactive visits the team makes to PTC but also because of 1816’s “pivotal” role in “educating the entire state of Minnesota” about STEM and FIRST Robotics.
Indeed, Team 1816 has a history of reaching out in the community to mentor, inspire, teach, and engage. Going into the 2017 season, Team members are ready for the service opportunities the new season will bring.