When the Gosnells Robotics Clubs needed purpose-built tables, the Gosnells Woodturners Association didn’t hesitate to lend a hand.
The Gosnells Robotics Club initiative, led by Southern River College teacher Mr John Townley, with a grant from SchoolsPlus, sees students from local schools supported to design, build and compete with robots.
Two secondary schools and eleven primary schools are involved.
Senior school students will be participating in FIRST Robotics events, played out on large courts, while primary school students are involved in FIRST LEGO League competitions. These competitions feature robot battles on specially designed tables.
These tables must accommodate the designated competition mat and require raised edging to prevent robots from falling off.
Because these specialised tables cannot be purchased commercially, Mr Townley approached the Gosnells Woodturners, which are based at Southern River College, for assistance.
The Woodturners were quick to take up the challenge.
With leadership from Rob Woodward, fellow woodturners Peter Povey, Kevin Cheetham, Jukka Lehtonen, and Norbert Mende embarked on the project.
Using materials and measurements supplied by Mr Townley, the team created a prototype. Once the prototype was finalised, crafting eight additional tables was a straightforward and efficient task.
Kevin Cheetham from the Woodturners expressed the association’s delight in contributing to the success of the robotics program.
They are looking forward to seeing the tables put to use. “We really enjoyed assisting the college in achieving the goal of nine robotics tables. We’re very happy with the results and look forward to seeing them put to good use. We’ve seen the LEGO robot battles online but it would be great to see it in real life,” Mr Cheetham said.
While woodworking may seem old-school compared to robotics, the Woodturners have embraced innovations over recent years, integrating computer-aided design and laser cutting into their projects.
With a membership of 37 and regular meetings at the College, the Gosnells Woodturners embody the spirit of community engagement and collaboration.
“For the most part we carry on with personal projects but if someone asks if we can help out, well, if we can we will” Mr Cheetham said.
While they hope that woodworking groups will continue to be around into the future they wonder if instead of woodworking groups there will be robotics groups.
Mr Townley is thrilled with the tables and the relationship with the Gosnells Woodturners Association. “
The Gosnells Woodturners Association is an important part of the Southern River College and Gosnells community. This project provided direct support to students, teachers and local schools in improving student outcomes and belonging in their communities.
