Robot Enthusiast
The very first thing that Sammy, an aspiring engineer originally from Sudan who moved to the U.S. from Egypt eight months ago, asked me was how he could make robots at MetaMedia.
Once he got set up with a computer, he worked with one of the MetaMedia navigators for over an hour to create a robot using Tinkercad, a program used to create 3D digital designs.
A quick learner, Sammy worked with the program to put a bunch of different shapes together in order to recreate a machine that he had often seen in his home country of Egypt — a big machine with wheels, like a drill, used to construct things such as buildings.
Not one to get discouraged easily, the seventh-grader posed lots of questions, asking for help any time he didn’t know how to do something on Tinkercad. Once Sam got him started with a difficult or new concept, Sammy picked it up really fast, never getting discouraged over something he didn’t understand.
As he and Sam continued to work on the machine’s design, the two of them realized quickly that the 3D printer might not be able to carry out the intricate job.
So, they decided to go in a different direction.
Instead of trying to print out the entire, detailed machine, they chose to 3D print the bare bones, then use other materials to try and make the machine move, such as a battery and a motor.
Sam assured Sammy that this kind of revision and flexibility are natural to engineers.
“Part of being an engineer is just testing it and seeing how it works.”
Sammy’s persistence and resilience as he worked on his new project really showed off his impressive passion for engineering. He’ll definitely be back to MetaMedia, and who know’s what he’ll design next.
~Aine
