MENDON — Students in the Mendon-Upton Regional School District got an up-close look at advanced robotics on March 6 when engineers from Boston Dynamics visited Miscoe Hill Middle School.
According to Mendon-Upton Regional School District Superintendent Dr. Maureen Cohen, seventh and eighth-grade students gathered in the school’s lower gymnasium to learn about several of the company’s robots, including Atlas, Spot and Stretch. During the presentation, engineers explained how robotics is used in public safety and industrial workplaces to improve safety and efficiency.
Students then watched live demonstrations by two Spot robots, which maneuvered across the gym floor, climbed over obstacles and performed a brief dance to show how they can navigate complex environments.
“We appreciate them bringing such a memorable experience to our students by sharing the robots, their careers, and their personal journeys to Boston Dynamics,” Miscoe Hill Middle School Principal Anne Corron said.
Students in Nipmuc Regional High School’s Information Technology Innovation Career Pathways program also worked directly with the engineers to operate the Spot robots. Guided by the engineers, the high school students operated the robots through the halls of Miscoe Hill Middle School, steering them around obstacles and down staircases.
“Seeing the presentation and seeing Spot in person made me realize I might want to shift my career path to a more robotics-based role,” one student said. “I think creating robots might be exactly what I want to do in life.”
The visit gave students an opportunity to ask engineers about their career paths and the skills needed to work in robotics, including mechanical engineering, programming and systems design. Engineers also told students that many of their current jobs did not exist when they were in school, underscoring how quickly technology careers are changing.
“Experiences like this show students that the technology they read about or see online is being built and used right now,” Ryan Robidoux, director of learning and innovation for the Mendon-Upton Regional School District, said. “This opportunity allowed students to ask questions, operate the robots and see how the technology actually works. That kind of experience sticks with students.”
Superintendent Cohen said the district was grateful to Boston Dynamics’ engineers for taking the time to visit the schools.
“Bringing this technology into the classroom gives our students a chance to see what’s possible and imagine themselves in careers they may not have considered previously,” Cohen said.