Academy of Robotics and Emerging Technology

Academy of Robotics & Emerging Technologies

Students develop engineering mindset and systems thinking through robotics, CAD design, automation, mechanical systems, and digital fabrication. Hands-on projects focus on solving real-world engineering challenges. Graduates complete a senior capstone engineering project and are prepared for university STEM programs and technical careers such as:

Robotics Technician

Mechanical Engineering Technician

CAD Designer

Automation Specialist
Manufacturing Technician
Systems Integrator
Engineering Assistant
Product Development Associate

This pathway prepares students for careers in advanced manufacturing, engineering, automation, aerospace, and emerging technologies.

Academy Track

Foundations of Engineering & Systems (#9410110)

This course guides students beyond the basics of robotics tools and into the deeper mindset of systems thinking—understanding how mechanical, electrical, and software components work together to solve real problems. Students quickly refresh foundational robotics concepts such as sensors, motors, and control logic, then apply them in increasingly integrated and purposeful ways. Through hands-on challenges, students explore how engineered systems behave, how components influence one another, and how design choices lead to trade-offs in performance, reliability, and usability. Emphasis is placed on designing mechanisms with intention: not just making something move, but making it solve a problem.

Robotics & Digital Fabrication (#9410120)

This course focuses on designing robots and mechanical systems that perform reliably under real-world conditions. Students build robots with defined performance goals, learn advanced CAD assembly techniques, and design components intended for actual manufacturing. Emphasis is placed on iterative prototyping—testing, breaking, analyzing, and improving designs. Key topics include gear ratios and torque–speed trade-offs, structural reinforcement, basic automation logic, and developing multi-part assemblies that must work together seamlessly. Typical projects include autonomous VEX robots with sensor-based decision-making, complex CAD mechanisms with moving components, and product redesign challenges incorporating user feedback. Students leave the course with a stronger understanding of how to design machines that function consistently, predictably, and with real engineering intent.

Applied Robotics & Product Design (#9410130)

This course emphasizes designing engineering solutions that create real impact for real users. Students tackle authentic or simulated realworld problems while working in structured teams with defined roles. Throughout the course, they learn to balance cost, materials, performance, and time—developing the mindset of a startup or engineering firm. Key skills include understanding design constraints and tradeoffs, managing projects from concept to prototype, iterating rapidly based on testing, and presenting and defending design decisions. Typical projects include assistive devices, sustainability focused robotics, automated systems for school or community use, and client style design briefs. Students finish the course with the ability to design purposeful, user centered solutions that are efficient, feasible, and grounded in real engineering practice.

Senior Capstone: Robotics & Innovation Lab (#9410140)

This course is the culminating experience of the robotics and emerging technologies academy. In this intensive, project-driven course, students apply the full engineering design process to an independent, real world challenge of their choosing. Working individually or in teams, students identify a meaningful problem, conduct research to understand user needs and constraints, and develop an original robotic system or engineered product that provides a practical solution. Across multiple design cycles, students plan, prototype, test, and refine their work, ultimately producing a fully functional final build. Emphasis is placed on innovation, technical rigor, documentation accuracy, and the ability to communicate engineering decisions to both technical and nontechnical audiences.