By: Tyler Myers
Dogs aren’t usually something a person thinks of when they think engineers, but thanks to a grant given to the Wallenpaupack engineering CTE, the level two students have added a new friend and project to their class. Composed of only six students, the engineering level two class has excelled in small scale projects and collaboration between each other. Their small size has allowed them to speedily finish their class related projects and work on projects unrelated to their classwork. An example of these projects comes from this previous wrestling season, in which they worked with the level three students to machine upwards of 60 wooden hammer trophies for an elementary wrestling tournament.
Their free time combined with their current lessons in robotics has made their new robotic dog a perfect fit into both their curriculum and class culture. Named COPPER (Computer Optimized Programmable Puppy Engineering Robot), the dog is pre-coded with many different commands such as basic tricks like sitting and shaking, more moderate moves like pouncing and begging, but also feats like dancing and drawing hearts in the air. The dog is much more than just a toy, though. It comes with a camera that can display to an external screen, a spotlight installed in its “face,” and a set of tracks on its back that can carry anything from a water tank to a pressurized air cannon. The model might be used by firefighters or the like in rescue situations to explore areas that are too small or dangerous for people to enter.
In the coming weeks, students and staff alike should be on the lookout for the engineering students and COPPER. While they test its capabilities and have some fun, they welcome any passerby who wishes to watch a new dog perform old and new tricks.
