ISU Robotics Program Students Heading to National Competition

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho State University has hundreds of majors and programs to choose from. One of the lesser known of these programs is robotics, nestled within the College of Technology. Several students in this program have won national competitions the past two years, and now, ISU Robotics is going for the three-peat!

"Our program is a three year associate's program," said Brody Holyoak, Senior Clinical Instructor for Robotics and Communications Engineering Technology. "The extra year actually gives students more experience and education, so that when you walk out of this program, you have the full associate's degree to get into the industry plus some."

The six-semester program features classes that build on one another, ultimately culminating in a robotics project, competitions, and the skills to be a technician in nearly any field. It begins with the basics of AC and DC circuits and controlling electricity. From there, students learn about the digital side of the technology, adding motors and sensors to apply their knowledge.

"We move into our fourth semester, which is our radio frequencies, we talk about different amplifiers and broadcast signals," Holyoak said, while standing in the mock-TV studio in the College of Technology Building. The students learn about the broadcasting technology in this space and how equipment works to operate a TV station.

The fifth and sixth semesters of the program are where programming and robotics enter the scene. For some students, robots are a new concept. Others have been competing their creations in robotics competitions since high school.

"We have an electric ATV students are working on right now, we have a video game where they've taken Nerf guns and gutted them, put infrared blasters in them and set up a whole target with games," Holyoak explained. "We also have a robotic bass guitar, so they really dig in and learn how to fix things and how everything works together."

The robotics labs at ISU are filled with funky robots that look like people on wheels, R2D2's that are 3D-printed, and even one that looks like WALL-E. Some are remote controlled, while some like the Nerf game are wired up to computers.

"We lift everybody up," Holyoak said. "We bring everybody's knowledge up and fill in gaps, no matter where they start. Everyone has the opportunity to learn and grow."

The robotics program is also special in that it involves real-world employers visiting the students. In an industry low on employees, it's an excellent opportunity for the students to meet with employers during their undergraduate. Holyoak says every student should leave the program with a job lined up.

To put their skills to the test, the robotics students go to a State Skills USA Competition every year. For the past two years, they've swept at state in three categories.

ISU students took home the top three spots in electronics technology, as well as technical math, and came away with a second place win in the mechatronics competition.

The state competition involves completing a series of tests to show students' skills as technicians. They must build circuits, locate errors and fix them, as well as complete a troubleshooting section where they're given a set of circuits and figure out what they do. The main idea is to give students a broken technology and see how accurately they can fix it, something they'll be doing often in their careers as technicians.

"We're very, very proud of our students for doing that," Holyoak said. "Now, we're gearing up to go our National Skills USA Competition in Atlanta, and we are the two-time national champion for electronics. We're preparing to make it three in a row."

No school has ever won the same competition three years in a row, making this an unmissable opportunity for Idaho State students. The national competition is similar to state Skills USA, but with bigger circuits and more advanced technology. Plus, the students will compete against the best robotics programs across the country.

Importantly, the students change each year, meaning ISU is represented by new technicians at every competition.

"It's not just that the students are brilliant and doing great on this," Holyoak said. "But it's also the education they're receiving in this program and they're getting the opportunity to say, 'I have the knowledge,' no matter who it is, and 'I can go and compete.'"

The students will head to Skills USA in Atlanta in mid-May. Local News 8 will continue following this story and provide updates on how the students place in their competition.

Holyoak says they're looking to show more people the robotics program at ISU. For more information about getting a tour and the classes offered, you can visit isu.edu/tech and find them on Facebook.