highlights

NASA Glenn Research Center FIRST Success Story

Orlando Antongiorgi, an East Technical High School student and NASA Glenn summer intern, partnered with NASA Glenn Research Center Engineer, Mike Krasowski, to design a circuit to monitor a radiometer experiment. This experiment was scheduled to fly aboard the Mars 2001 MATE experiment. He was given a short course in op amps, a pile of parts, and a breadboard. He was then told to make a circuit that would auto zero a radiometer amplifier circuit for the Mars 2001 MATE experiment.

The signal from a radiometer is often as small as if not smaller than the input offset voltage of an op amp. Hence, the output signal of the circuit can be more representative of amplifier error than of the input signal. Orlando's circuit lets us measure the op amp's contribution to the output and allows us to subtract it from the incoming signal.

The circuit, with a digital to analog to converter replacing a potentiometer and an analog switch replacing some jumpers, is in the flight hardware shipped to NASA Johnson Space Center.

Orlando is now in his sophomore year of studies at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Inspired by his work with Mike, he chose Electrical Engineering as his major.

He returned this year as an alumnus along with another former East Tech student, Nate Gucik, to aid East Technical High School with the building of their FIRST robot at the Advanced Manufacturing Center at Cleveland State University. His title is "Student Engineer," and he along with Nate traveled with the team to Epcot in 2001.

 

NASA Glenn Research Center FIRST History

Nine years ago, East Technical High School was slated for closing due to an enrollment of 900 and only 43% of the students passing the State of Ohio Proficiency Test. Now East Technical High School has an enrollment rate reaching 1400 and 71% passing the State of Ohio Proficiency Test.

Nine years ago, NASA Glenn Research Center engineers and technicians worked with students at East Technical High School to build a robot to compete in the National For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition. Students from East Technical High School involved middle students in LEGO competitions and community service activities. Since East Technical High School has been involved in FIRST, there have been more students applying to become part of the NASA GRC/East Tech FIRST Robotics Team than students trying out for sports teams. When NASA Glenn Research Center first took these students to Orlando, FL to compete, they were the only urban school out of 85 teams. These students placed in the top ten at the FIRST Robotics Competition nine years ago. Since then, the NASA GRC/East Tech FIRST Robotics Team has received high recognition and continues to compete strongly.

Some of the accomplishments are as follows:

• 1998 Great Lakes Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, "Xerox Creativity Award" (Ypsilanti, MI)

• 1998 FIRST National Robotics Competition, "National Chairman's Award Finalist" (Orlando, FL)

• 1998 National FIRST Invitational Robotics Competition, "Havoc on Capital Hill" Champions (Washington D.C.)

• 1999 Great Lakes Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, "Delphi Power to Simplify Award" (Ypsilanti, MI)

• 1999 National FIRST Robotics Competition, "The National Chairman's Award" This is FIRST's most prestigious award, which is awarded to the team that demonstrates the best partnership between the school and their corporate sponsor.

Nine years ago, the NASA GRC/East Tech FIRST Robotics Team was the first NASA sponsored team in the Agency. To date, NASA Administrator Dan Goldin has provided more than $2M annually to sponsor 118 NASA teams.

During the 1999-2000 school year, Glenn Research Center funded and supported two additional FIRST teams: Rhodes High School, Cleveland, Ohio; and Eastmoor Academy, Columbus, Ohio.

During the 2000-2001 school year, two additional FIRST teams were added: Beachwood High School, Beachwood, Ohio; and Max Hayes Vocational School.

In 2002, NASA Glenn Research Center is planning to continue to expand its involvement in the FIRST program by hosting the Buckeye Regional FIRST Robotics Competition in Cleveland, Ohio and sponsoring 20 of the FIRST teams that will attend the event. This will be the first regional held in the state of Ohio.