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The Future STEMs From Robotics

The Boy Scouts of America Introduces New Robotics Merit Badge
CITY, State, DateRobots are used in almost every fieldin medicine and manufacturing,

law enforcement and search and rescue, and space and underwater exploration. The latest Boy Scouts of America merit badge introduces youth to the science and technology behind the growing field of robotics. If you think robotics is only used in the highest-level technology companies, think again. You probably have multiple robotic units in your own home. The field of personal robotics is growing as we look to technology to do some of the jobs that we dont want to do. There are robots that vacuum, mow the lawn, and clean the pool. But dont stop at personal roboticsalmost every aspect of agriculture, military combat, and waste containment involves robotic technology.

Robotics merit badge

With this merit badge, the BSA has incorporated 14 months of development and input from more than 150 youth members, leaders, and industry professionals from across the nation. To earn the badge, Scouts will spend approximately 10 hours designing a robot and keeping log books, among other requirements. This merit badge is part of the BSAs new curriculum emphasis on STEM: science, technology, engineering, and math. More than 10,000 Robotics merit badges are expected to be earned in its first year. The new merit badge offers Scouts a chance to apply STEM principles in a way thats fun and interesting. Scouts earning this merit badge today may be the engineers and inventors of tomorrow, said (Council SE, and Council Name). The Robotics merit badge is an example of how Scouting remains true to its roots to help young people be prepared. In the early 1900s, we were teaching them how to shoe a horse; now we are helping prepare them for the world today and tomorrow. The BSA focus on STEM gives Scouts critical skills that are relevant and needed in our competitive world. The study of robotics helps provide opportunities for youth at all levels of Scouting to develop an enhanced interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and to receive recognition for their achievement in these areas. --more
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This technology (Robotics) is one that holds the keys to solving some of the greatest issues of the dayhealthcare, search and rescue, security, said Lyndon Bridgwater, Design Engineer for NASA. The BSA merit badge program is helping youth plan their destination to the future.

About the Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America prepares young people for life by providing the nations foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. The Scouting organization is composed of 2.7 million youth members between the ages of 7 and 21, and more than a million volunteers, in nearly 300 local councils throughout the United States and its territories. For more information on the Boy Scouts of America, please visit www.scouting.org.

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Talking Points/Factoids Robotics Merit Badge

The following are speaking points for consideration when discussing the importance of this merit badge:

Robotics is only one of more than 120 merit badges that are education- or hobby-based. Robotics is one of several introduced in the STEM category.

There are 31 STEM-related merit badges that Boy Scouts can earn, and 26 of the
pins and belt loops in the Cub Scout program are STEM related.

The Robotics merit badge will be the first merit badge with its own interactive
website. The field of robotics crosses every aspect of daily life, including agriculture, manufacturing, law enforcement, search and rescue, medicine, the military, and more.

To earn the merit badge, each Scout must complete a task, develop a robot
design, and document the process in his robot engineering notebook.

Earning the Robotics merit badge requires a Scout to understand how robots move (actuators), how they sense the environment (sensors), and how they understand what to do (programming). The BSA estimates that approximately 10,000 Scouts will earn the Robotics merit badge in its first year. New merit badges planned for release over the next two years include Chess, Welding, Game Design, and Search and Rescue. Factoids: Leonardo da Vinci is credited with creating the first robot in human form (a mechanical knight) in the 15th century. Robots with humanlike features have been created. The humanoid robot ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) can walk. The first industrial robot, Ultimate, was installed in a General Motors manufacturing plant in 1961. Jason Jr. is an underwater robot that helped in the discovery and exploration of the sunken Titanic in 1986. In 2004, the rovers Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars. They were designed to last 90 days and were still in operation seven years later.

The joystick control for a video game is a robotic interface that is used to communicate with the game. The Robotics merit badge logo was based on NASAs two Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity.

HOW TO INTRODUCE THE ROBOTICS MERIT BADGE TO YOUR LOCAL MEDIA

Messages

The new Robotics merit badge is soft news. It will not lead the news, but it might be used as filler between other news stories or segments. We believe there is media potential based on the significant emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. There is a significant opportunity to provide visualsof Scouts, Scouters, and local businesses. Here are some pitches you might want to consider:

Sample Media Pitches

Pitch: Visuals: Media: How many robots do you have in your home? Go through a traditional household. You will find different robots, such as a robotic vacuum cleaner, robotic pool cleanereven a video game joystick. General broadcast/lifestyle reporters print and broadcast

Pitch: From manufacturing to surgery, robots are used in everyday jobs. Visuals: Most growing businesses use robotics to bring their products or services to market. Manufacturing, health care, and agriculture have integrated robots into their everyday practice. Media: Business, health/medical reportersprint and broadcast Pitch: Visuals: Media: Pitch: Visuals: Media: Pitch: Visuals: STEM education: a powerful approach to stop youth from falling behind those from other countries Show how the STEM requirements are used to earn this merit badge, with an emphasis on how the merit badge pamphlet makes learning interesting and fun for young people. Education reporterprint and broadcast Can you build a robot? Have a troop or a Scout challenge the local science reporter to build a robot in a specific amount of time, or have them identify the different elements that make up a robot. Science reporterprint and broadcast Is being a geek the new cool? TV shows like The Big Bang Theory and MythBusters and people like Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and President Obama are redefining what is cool. Although robotics might have once been a geeky subject, it is now seen as cool. Pop culture reportersprint and broadcast Robots that keep us safe Get a demonstration of the bomb-sniffing and bomb-disposal robots. Show how robotic technology helps save lives. Police beat reporters print and broadcast

Media: Pitch: Visuals: Media:

Pitch: Visuals: Media:

Robotics 101 Provide a cheat sheet (feel free to use factoids included in this kit) to local radio stations and have them quiz each other on the air about robotsthey probably know more than they think they know. Talk radio or commercial radio DJ banter