By Lauren Farberman
Staff Writer
For many kids growing up, building with Legos is nothing more than a childhood hobby, but for Costa sophomores Charlie and Dylan Sutro, this childhood pastime has turned into a passion for building robots.
According to Charlie and Dylan, playing with Legos was the beginning of their experience with building and engineering robots. Once they realized their interest in Legos was a passion rather than a hobby, the two twins joined to create the “Lego Mindstorms” program at Redondo Union High in 2007. This program teaches the basics of robotics through the use of Lego kits.
“The satisfaction I find in building robots is the fulfillment when the device I struggled to make works, and when I have successfully solved any problems that arose during the build,” Charlie Sutro said.
During his first year building robots, Dylan joined the high school First Robotics Competition team within the Beach Cities Robotics League. The First Robotics Competition is a team of self-funded students that build and program robots to perform certain tasks, which vary annually, against a field of competitors.
“I am excited for a fun year of collaborating with a team that has the same passion for robotics and engineering that I have,” Dylan Sutro said. “I predict I will accomplish some cool projects with this team.”
Charlie was part of the First Lego League from 2008 to 2011. Since his departure from the team in 2011, Charlie’s projects have been independent. However, Charlie plans to try out for the Costa Science Olympiad Build Team in the future.
“While working independently has given me a flexible time frame for building robots, being on a team with multiple students would allow me to tackle larger, more advanced robotics projects,” Charlie Sutro said. “Another positive aspect is that a team would provide me with various resources such as materials and funds.”
Charlie Sutro submitted a robot with an ejection system in the summer of 2014 to the Team America Rocketry Competition, which made qualifiers for the South Bay. He earned a plaque for this accomplishment, and according to Charlie, although he did not get to proceed to the state level of the competition, this validation was encouraging to him.
“I began with Erector sets, which are beginner robot kits with specific instructions,” Charlie Sutro said. “They inspired me to build and program my own projects.”
According to Charlie, one of the most appealing aspects of robotics is the engineering involved. He has built robots with features such as light-emitting diode lights and hydraulic hands.
“It’s always fun to challenge myself with new endeavors and see what I can accomplish with a robot,” Charlie Sutro said.
As stated by Dylan and Charlie, they both plan to continue building robots in the future. Charlie is interested in careers in the fields of aeronautics and electrical engineering, and Dylan hopes to eventually pursue a career involving robotics or engineering.
“While robotics started out as a hobby, it has turned into a passion that I can hopefully create a career out of,” Dylan Sutro said.
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