A budding team of future engineers from remote Western Australia are realising their STEM ambitions after being introduced to the world of robotics by Babcock Australasia (Babcock).
The secondary students from Exmouth District School on the state’s North West Cape competed in the West Australian Robotics Championships at Curtin University in August, where they tested their skills in design, programming, electronics, fabrication and teamwork against 25 other schools in a series of task-based challenges.
The students took several months in the lead up to the event to code and construct a 1m x 2m robot and practice manoeuvres in a replica competition field, which they also built from scratch on school grounds.
Following a series of hard fought qualification rounds, the team (aptly named the Kilobyte Pythons after Exmouth’s ever-present den of Stimson’s pythons) came away with the competition’s Team Spirit Award. The award celebrates exceptional displays of collaboration, respect and camaraderie.
“We created a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) lab at the school a couple of years ago but it’s only in its infancy, which is what makes this so much more significant,” Exmouth District School Deputy Principal Lucas Plummer said.
“We identified eight students who would really benefit from being part of the competition but we weren’t in a position to obtain the materials to build the robot and then send the kids to Perth. That’s where Babcock stepped in.”
Babcock, which operates Australia’s Defence High Frequency Communications System, including a relay antenna node at Exmouth, enthusiastically agreed to sponsor the students, providing funding for robotic parts and travel to the competition.
Mr Plummer said providing the country students with the same opportunities as their city counterparts had set them on a new trajectory.
“Many of the other participating schools have long established robotics programs, so for our school to be in a position to offer this type of opportunity to our students, who learn in such a remote part of the country, is just unheard of,” he said.
“It doesn’t just expose our kids to hands-on learning. It opens up a whole new pathway about what’s possible in the space of science and engineering. Some of our students go off to boarding school because they want academic extension in this area but opportunities like the robotics competition mean they no longer have to leave home. And that has positive repercussions of us as a community because our families can stay together and the kids have the opportunity to achieve their goals whilst still living in the best place in Australia.
“I can’t overstate how much this has brought our community together. Babcock staff looked over the student’s coding. Local builders donated money so we could buy the timber for the field. And our tech studies students then constructed it. We couldn’t be prouder of the students and the way the community came together to support them.”
Babcock Australasia Managing Director Mission & Support Systems Richard Udall said Babcock was committed to enriching the communities it was a part of.
“STEM skills are the backbone of defence industry and we are proud to be fostering initiatives that support skill development and future workforce readiness. By investing in the students at Exmouth, we hope to create a new generation of workers to drive innovation in the likes of high frequency communication and other defence projects,” Mr Udall said.
“I was particularly pleased to hear the students had taken home the Team Spirit Award. Teamwork is such a critical part of industry success and it really resonates with Babcock’s Purpose, which is to create a safe and secure world, together. I congratulate the students on their win.”
Babcock’s social investment initiatives extend right across Australia and New Zealand. Its current partners include Yalari Foundation, University of Adelaide Women in Stem Careers Program, Australian Defence Force AFL Wheelchair Team, Engineering Aid Australia, Re-Engineering Foundation, Auckland University of Technology and Lifeblood.
Babcock is committed to improving outcomes for the planet, its people and its communities. As part of its growing ESG framework, Babcock has set verified science-based targets around Net Zero Carbon emissions by 2040 and increasing gender balance and indigenous and veteran engagement though its inclusion and diversity programs.