John R. Haughery, assistant professor, Automation & Electronic Technologies with Millersville University (MU), remembers when he was a high school student and wanted to learn more about manufacturing and automation. "There's a law that you can't go into a manufacturing environment unless you're 18 and over," said Haughery, explaining the Robotic WorX Program to a group of high school students from around the county. "I did not get this opportunity in high school."

The Robotic WorX Program gives high school students the opportunity Haughery did not have by offering a chance to work in the automation lab at MU. "While still in high school, (students) can experience automation for manufacturing in a safe environment," Haughery explained.

The Robotic WorX Program was developed by Haughery and John Bridgen, director of customer satisfaction and co-worker advancement with Precision Cobotics in Lititz. The partnership between the two companies and a grant from Lancaster STEM Alliance is making it possible for students in participating school districts, such as Pequea Valley, to engage in hands-on experience working with MU students and faculty and Precision Cobotics staff members.

The program offers three levels of opportunity: including 30- to 90-minute tours of the MU automation lab; mini job shadow experiences, which run two to three hours; and internships, which immerse students in an automation project for six hours a week. Students must be at least age 16 to take part in an internship.

Jared Erb, First Choice career coordinator with the Pequea Valley School District (PVSD), is excited that PVSD students can take part in Robotic WorX. "This opportunity has given learners a head start on understanding the design concepts of automation engineering, as well as gaining valuable exposure to working on a team, utilizing communication and problem solving to develop and implement solutions for manufacturing clients' automation needs," he said. "Learners who engage in the (program) gain the advantage of direct training in automation programing as well as the chance to work on a team to design and implement automation solutions utilizing a variety of tools, techniques, and materials." 

High school students who take part in the program will be introduced to the development of automation for certain tasks based on requests from manufacturers. For a team to complete a project, a proof of concept must be created and pitched to the company looking to automate the process. The team working in the lab at MU develops the proof of concept, giving high school students real-world experience in automation robotics.

Precision Cobotics exists alongside PrecisionForm Inc., a business producing highly engineered parts for the automotive and aerospace industries. Bridgen noted that the automation processes used at Precision Form are helping to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. by automating repetitive processes. Bridgen added that parts are not only created but also inspected by automated machines. The company is working to automate palletizing, which involves the movement of 50-pound boxes of product to pallets for shipping.

On July 25, about 30 students from around the county visited Precision Cobotics as part of Momentum Summer Coding Academy, a six-week Elizabethtown College summer program made possible by Lancaster STEM Alliance and hosted by Cargas. The students spent nearly three hours trying their hands at robotics, learning about artificial intelligence visioning, touring PrecisionForm Inc., and having the opportunity to question professionals in the world of automation. A presentation on the Robotic WorX Program was part of the activities.

Readers who would like to learn more about Robotic WorX may visit http://www.precisioncobotics.com/solutions-lab.