Bringing the Heat to the Merced County STEM Fair

Our Firefighting Robots team attended the Merced County STEM Fair held at UC Merced’s Conference Center on Thursday, February 25th. We showcased our poster detailing the project’s purpose, awesome robot, and follow-me technology to curious students, staff, and visitors from a variety of STEM programs in Merced.

Figure 1. Our tabling set up at the Merced County STEM Fair, which took place in UC Merced’s Conference Center.

Funnily enough, a couple of elementary students right across from where we set up were displaying a prototype of a firefighting robot designed to move around while shooting out water. It was a surprising coincidence that prompted a lively discussion between our two teams about robotic technology and the importance of using it to help combat wildfire risk, an issue of growing concern–especially in light of the recent fires in California.

While the robot could not be moved around the conference room due to safety reasons, the monitor displaying how its algorithm works grabbed the attention of many passersby. People often came up to ask about how it was perceiving individuals and, more specifically, how it made the decision of who to follow.

After explaining that raising your right arm at a 90-degree angle is necessary for becoming the main target, many elementary students eagerly tried it out for themselves, impressed once they saw the indicating arrow appear right above their heads on the screen.

Figure 2. Rodolfo, one of our team members, showing a student how to position his arm so the program makes him the main target.

During an interaction with a couple of the students, the question of the financial source for all the expensive technology came up. We provided insight into the process researchers follow to obtain funding within the UC system–it is long and complicated but ultimately highly rewarding!

One of the best parts about outreach events like this is the conversations we get to have with the community. Talking with people at the event, we had the opportunity to learn about topics related to our project, such as animal grazing and drones for fire prevention. Goats, sheep, and donkeys graze on highly flammable plants in forests, removing a substantial amount of fire fuel. Drones can provide real-time videos, high-definition photos, and 3D models of forest areas to aid in early detection of fires. More applications of this technology are currently being explored by developers, and this is exciting news for fire management.

While poster presentations like these are a way to showcase our project, it is also just as important for us to learn from the community. Stay tuned for our next outreach event, perhaps around Earth Day next month!