JUNE 2008

Machine Science Alums Accepted to MIT
We are pleased to congratulate Bruno Piazzarolo of Allston and Alban Cobi of West Roxbury on their acceptance to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Both students are graduating seniors at the John D. O'Bryant School of Math and Science in Roxbury, and they were members of the school's long-running Machine Science after-school program. In the photo to the left, Bruno and Alban are shown working on a do-it-yourself version of the Segway self-balancing scooter-an ambitious engineering project that they completed last summer as part of a multi-school team at MIT's Edgerton Center. An article on the Segway project is scheduled to appear in an upcoming issue of Servo magazine.

Robot Sumo Tournament Attracts Record Entries
A record number of robots—more than 40 in total—were entered in Machine Science’s third annual Robot Sumo Tournament at the Museum of Science on May 24. This year, students from Boston high schools were joined by students from the Lowell and Lawrence area, squaring off in head-to-head robot sumo. A team from the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lawrence, led by Julio Hernandez, captured top honors in an exciting 3-2 victory over Jamesy Jean Michel of Boston Latin Academy. Asahel Sequeria of the O'Bryant School and Marsha Guillaume and Rudolf Luders of The Engineering School at Hyde Park made it to the semifinals. As in past years, round robin play during the early afternoon was followed by a single-elimination matches, leading to the crowning of the tournament champion. Many thanks to the Museum of Science, Solidworks, Microsoft, UMass Lowell, and everyone who helped support this great event.

Beta Release of iSENSE System Planned
Machine Science and UMass-Lowell are preparing to release a beta version of a new web system that will enable high school students and undergraduates to collect, store, and share scientific data on-line. Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, this unique system-the Internet System for Networked Sensor Experimentation (iSENSE)-is intended to be used in connection with classroom probes that measure physical phenomena, such as temperature, light, sound, humidity, pH, etc. Traditionally, these devices are used for tabletop experiments. By enabling students to pool and share their data on-line, the iSENSE system will greatly expand the scope, relevance, and geographic range of experimentation. For example, students in different parts of the world could collect and share data on water quality, urban living conditions, or climate. The system will leverage Google Maps and other "Web 2.0" tools, allowing students to create visually engaging representations of their data. A workshop for teachers interested in using the iSENSE system will take place during the week of August 4 to 8 in Lowell.