Robotics resources

ROBOTICS COMPETITIONS

One of the best places to find the latest on various robotics competitions is http://robotevents.com, the website of the Robotics Education and Competitions Foundation. The foundation exists to connect students, mentors, and schools in every community, and its site can connect you to competitive events, workshops, camps, conferences and more.

UNIVERSITIES AND MUSEUMS

Check your local universities and museums. Many provide the public and Scouts with workshops and special opportunities to learn about robotics. In addition, organizations and groups such as the 4-H, city recreational groups, Mad Science and ID-Tech Camps can also provide workshops and camps in areas like robotics.

Here are a few examples:

Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy
Pittsburgh, Pa.

Science and Engineering Education Center at the University of Texas at Dallas (SEEC)
Dallas, Tex.

National Center for Robotics Engineering and Technology Education (NCRETE)
California University of Pennsylvania

Robotics Outreach at Lincoln Laboratory
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

ARTICLES, BOOKS AND LINKS

There is a wealth of information to assist you on the topic of robotics. The first reference is your Robotic merit badge pamphlet, which provides a good overview and list of additional resources. The Robotics merit badge pamphlet is available at your local Scout shop or online at https://www.scoutshop.org.

In addition to the links above, here are some other websites that might be helpful. All helped the Boy Scouts of America in creating the Robotics merit badge:

• National Robotics Week
• NASA
• Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy
• Science and Engineering Education Center at University of Texas at Dallas (SEEC)
• National Center for Robotics Engineering and Technology Education (NCRETE)
• VEX Robotics
• FIRST
• AUVSI
• LEGO Education
• Boe-Bot robot kit tutorials and resources