Editor’s note: Back in February, we took that photo when the Robotics Team from Gatewood Elementary visited Yoky Matsuoka, director of the Neurobotics program at the University of Washington. Now, two members of the team will get to work more closely with Matsuoka and her colleagues – here’s the story:

By Kathy Mulady
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Chatting with Sophia Gut (left) and Emma Atkinson about bio-robotics and ultra-sonic sensors, it is easy to forget that the two Gatewood Elementary School students are just 10 years old.

The girls share a passion for building robots.

Both have been invited to spend a week this summer at the University of Washington laboratory of Yoky Matsuoka, an associate professor of neurobotics who is developing a lifelike robotic arm connected to the human brain.

“She is a really smart lady; I am really looking forward to working with her,” said Emma.

The fifth-grade girls have already been to the UW to meet Matsuoka, on a field trip with their after-school program (top photo).

They were given an up-close look at the robotic arm Matsuoka is developing. Eventually, the robot arm will be connected to hundreds of points in the brain that will let it move as naturally as a real arm with fully-functioning fingers.

(photo from the February field trip, with one of Matsuoka’s colleagues showing off a robotic hand)
“It’s really cool!” said Emma.

Sophia and Emma are part of the afternoon robotics class led by Erik Christensen, a King County Metro bus driver with a fascination for electronics, and a knack for connecting with kids. He volunteers at the school Thursday afternoons, while his co-workers pick up his route.

“There were about 45 people involved in making this program happen, not just me,” he said.

Christensen said he heard about Matsuoka and simply sent her an e-mail asking if the students could visit. “If you don’t ask, you don’t know,” he said.

Christensen found out that the scientist, who has three young children of her own, has a passion for working with kids and encouraging their interest.

While visiting the UW, they also tried out a new video game that uses magnets in the controls “so you can feel the resistance in the game,” said Sophia.

While robotics programs often seemed aimed at boys, with mechanical monsters sword fighting or trucks transforming and attacking, Christensen is focusing his after school program on robotics “for the greater good,” including replacements for lost limbs. “I press them to use this knowledge for kind things, and in a cooperative way.”

Emma and Sophia are working on a Rube Goldberg machine (photo above), one way of saying “an incredibly complex contraption that does a very simply task.”

In this case, the girls are building robots that move a ball along a 16-foot course. Each robot may only move the ball four feet at a time. Tricky. The robot device includes a computer program to chart the moves.

The robots are built using Lego NXT, a programmable robotics kit with the familiar snap-together pieces.

“It’s addictive; once you start connecting those pieces, you can’t stop,” said Christensen.

Both girls say proudly that they are good students who get “really good” grades.

Neither is really sure how they became interested in robotics. Emma said she has played with Legos since she was a toddler.

“My dad loves Legos. I love Legos, I still do,” said Emma. “Now I love robots. I love it! I look forward to doing it every Thursday.”

Emma said she is already envisioning a career in robotics. Sophia isn’t as sure yet. While she loves the engineering involved with creating the complex creations, she has another passion.

“I love writing; that is what I really enjoy most,” she said.