Police bomb squad shows robotics in action

<p>About 30 Valley youngsters attending a summer camp at Arizona State University recently learned of one way engineering is playing a critical role in public safety and homeland security efforts.<br /><br />Tempe Police Department bomb squad officers Chuck Corning (pictured in photo) and Bob Johnson demonstrated the abilities of a large mobile robot used by law enforcement agencies to deal with potentially threatening situations involving explosive devices and materials.<br /><br />The students are participating in the <a href="http://www.fulton.asu.edu/fulton/departments/cor/summer/summerinstitute… color="#810081">Youth Engineering Middle School Summer Program</font></a> organized by ASU’s Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering. <br /><br />Robotics is the theme of the summer camp. Under the direction of computer science and engineering instructor Yinong Chen, student teams design, build and operate their own LEGO Mindstorms robots.<br /><br />The school of engineering also provides middle school students a window into the world of robotics through its leadership of the annual <a href="http://www.fulton.asu.edu/fulton/students/fll/"><font color="#810081">FIRST LEGO League</font></a> school competitions.</p>