Local students raced toward robotics and engineering fields in an April 26 SPARK! competition themed around the popular video game "Mario Kart," hosted by the Rose-BUD program.

Student teams started their engines with pizza and event T-shirts before programming and wiring robots to simulate several aspects of racing. 

"They learned how to wire a Bluetooth module onto the breadboard onto the robots," said Marlon Mendez-Yanez, SPARK! student coordinator and a junior software engineering major. "We gave them a wiring diagram, and they were able to read it and figure out where to put wires from the Bluetooth module." 

He added, "They also started coding in Arduino, which is a heavy robotics language. This means they learned how to write code that can communicate between a machine, a Bluetooth transmitter, and a racecar, which I think is really awesome." 

Teams then raced to the finish, speeding past other teams' vehicles along a track, using a video game controller to navigate deftly around obstacles.

Ellie Harshany, a fellow SPARK! student event coordinator, watched the student's brows furrow as they debugged their robots, then smile as they understood the problem with the help of Rose-Hulman student mentors.

The junior computer engineering major said, "I really hope to be able to give younger students the opportunity to explore the STEM fields and give them this idea that there's a whole different type of field beyond what they may learn in their classrooms." 

After the race, students participated in a pit stop simulation exercise. They were tasked with programming a claw on their robot to grab and remove a 3D-printed elephant from the base of a car prop, then swap the elephant with a different one. The task was designed to replicate a pit crew changing the tires on a racing vehicle. 

Beyond their technical abilities, the crews also had the opportunity to distinguish themselves through their team's brand icons. The teams competed in a poster design contest, with some drawing inspiration from roses and others drawing from Formula 1 vehicles. 

The posters, as well as other elements of the SPARK! competition, were judged by alumni Marie Guerin (ME, '22), Becca Turner (EE, '23), and Cameron Perl (EE, '20). All three now work for Texas Instruments, who provided support for the SPARK! competition and notebooks for the students in attendance. The judges hoped that the competition offers a safe space for students to persevere past their comfort zones. 

"It's okay to fail," Guerin said. "Every failure is a learning experience, so as long as we can take it in a proactive manner."

The SPARK! competition learning experience, or "Student Projects Advocating Resourceful Knowledge" began in 2013 to inspire students to pursue computer science or computer, electrical, or software engineering. Lawrence J. Giacoletto Endowed Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Rose-BUD Faculty Advisor Carlotta Berry, PhD, hopes the event develops skills of both the visiting younger students and the Rose-Hulman student hosts.

"I love this event because it helps our Rose students to develop some very valuable leadership and organization skills," she said.

Berry added that, for the high school students, "Everyone can learn some science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) and appreciate that. Having some of those skills are useful and valuable no matter what you do with the rest of your life." 

The SPARK! competition provided students the opening lap to inspire them to continue racing toward their passions for robotics and engineering fields.