There will soon be a new face at the Pickering campus of Technical College High School — the face of technology.
Baxster, a collaborative robot with a sleek red and black body, iPad face and useful arms, will join the student body in exploring high-tech manufacturing careers this school year, thanks to a partnership with Omega Design Corp. in Exton.
“We want to keep the TCHS students in our electronic and robotics programs on the cutting edge with what is happening in the advanced manufacturing field,” Chester County Intermediate Unit Director of Career, Technical and Customized Education Kirk Williard said in announcing Baxter’s arrival. “This partnership with Omega Design allows our students and instructors to experience the impact of this knowledge first-hand.”
The robot is expected to provide a living laboratory for practical production uses like product packing while enlightening students with its many capabilities, all easier than expected to program.
“You don’t need an advanced computer programmer to write a new program when you want the Baxster to do something new,” Omega Design Control Engineer Charles Chan noted. “You can program the robot directly on its arm. It is much more user-friendly.”
Ultimately, both Omega Design and TCHS hope Baxster programs a love for robotics and advanced manufacturing into the hearts of the students it works with.
“Careers in advanced manufacturing are good, rewarding careers,” Omega Design President Glenn Siegele said. “They are neat, safe, challenging and rewarding — both financially and intellectually.”
