Police bomb squad shows robotics in action

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.

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.

The students are participating in the Youth Engineering Middle School Summer Program organized by ASU’s Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering.

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.

The school of engineering also provides middle school students a window into the world of robotics through its leadership of the annual FIRST LEGO League school competitions.