Award Winning Robotics Club

The brightest students at Sherborne are incredibly busy. They seize every opportunity to engage in extra academic pursuits, but perhaps more significantly, they participate in co-curricular activities. With dozens of clubs to choose from, it was a delight to see both Jack Wills (L6f) and Hector Kennerley (L6g) join the Robotics Club. 

Robots currently work behind the scenes, building our cars and organizing our deliveries, among other tasks. However, in the not-too-distant future, they will become far more prevalent and visible in public. Several major companies are harnessing recent breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence to develop more versatile robots designed for household assistance. Tesla frequently showcases their progress on YouTube. Admittedly, the rapid advancements can be somewhat daunting. 

Regardless of one's stance on AI and Robotics, today's students will undoubtedly play a crucial role in their evolution. We hope that these technologies will bring significant benefits to society, supporting vulnerable and disabled individuals, and potentially increasing our leisure time. 

Jack and Hector are vital members of Sherborne School's Robotics Club. Hector (left/right) is a talented programmer who spends considerable time crafting chess programs and solving complex problems typically reserved for professional programmers and university students. Concurrently, he is an accomplished musician and a member of the school choir – a testament to the success of busy students at Sherborne. Hector's persistence is one of his most notable traits, never backing down from difficult challenges. 

Jack took on the responsibility of managing the design, development, and construction of the robot entered into the National Student Robotics competition. This year, Sherborne participated as a newcomer in the 37-school-strong contest. The objective? To create a robot capable of recognizing blocks (objects), navigating to them, capturing them, and returning them to a base. It was an incredibly challenging task! Jack's ability to manage people, articulate design principles, oversee construction, and coordinate hardware and software integration mirrored processes typically found in large-scale industrial projects. Involving students in such activities at school offers a rare opportunity to help them appreciate the skills required for similar real-world tasks. Jack's exemplary leadership and work ethic inspired the team and motivated other members to contribute. 

The competition involved several rounds of challenges with deadlines. A major milestone was designing a moving prototype capable of using a webcam to recognize tokens and control the robot's drivetrain predictably and consistently. With only a few hours to spare, the team, led by Jack and supported by Hector and others, submitted their code and successfully completed all the intricate tasks set out by StudentRobotics.org. The next step was to finalize the design, harmonizing the chassis, motors, and code, and submitting a compliant robot. Despite strict rules, the boys managed to produce a remarkable design. Nervously, they participated in the two-day competition at Southampton University and triumphantly secured the Rookie Award – the highest-ranked robot among the 37 schools entering for the first time, finishing 6th overall. 

The dedication, ability to maintain interest, and capacity to inspire others to persist through difficult tasks are trademarks of future leaders. Keep an eye out for these two young men, who are well on their way to making a significant impact in the years to come. 

Dr David Wild, Head of Computer Science