According to a Time magazine article, “The Male Minority,” women make up almost 60 percent of undergraduate students nationwide. Science, technology and math are one of the few areas where men have superior numbers but the women are winning there too.
The Spelman College robotics team, SpelBots, tied for first place in the RoboCup Japan 2009 Standard Platform League Nao League humanoid soccer championship on May 10, 2009, in Osaka, Japan.
Invited by the RoboCup Japan organization to participate in its first-ever humanoid robot competition, SpelBots were the first all-woman team to vie for the Standard Platform League title and were one of only two teams taking part in the two-legged challenge. Spelman’s four-woman lineup went head-to-head against members of ASURA-FIT from Fukuoka Institute of Technology in five matches and a tiebreaker. During the competition, the two teams played three-on-three autonomous soccer with robots programmed with artificial intelligence and operated without the use of remote controls.
Since 2005, SpelBots have been the only all-female, all-Black undergraduate team to qualify for both U.S. and international RoboCup competitions.
“The SpelBots emphasize the study and research of robotics, which can help improve society and address issues in healthcare, entrepreneurship and other areas,” said Andrew Williams, Ph.D., associate professor of computer and information science and adviser to the SpelBots. “We see so few women involved in robotics and high tech; more role models are needed in the field. The SpelBots are a way of encouraging girls and young women to go into science and technology. This competition has been a celebration of the intellectual talent and courage of young women.”
Due to costs, Dr. Williams estimates there are less than 30 universities around the world with the two-legged Nao robots. With the support of General Electric, the National Institutes of Health, Boeing, the National Science Foundation and Apple, Spelman College purchased four Nao robots in early 2009, valued at close to $5,000 each. SpelBots’ members had less than four months to study, train and program their team of robots for Japan’s RoboCup 2009.
Members of SpelBots representing the College at RoboCup Japan were co-captains Jonecia Keels and Jazmine Miller, both sophomores and computer science majors; Naquasia Jones, a sophomore biology/pre-med major; and Ariel Butler, a sophomore biochemistry major/Japanese minor. Miller and Keels have participated as SpelBots since freshman year. RoboCup 2009 was their first robotics competition.
“This entire experience on the SpelBots team has had a major impact on my life, and because of this I have been able to inspire others as well,” said Keels. “Every time I present to middle school and high school students, particularly females and minorities, they are amazed at what I do. There are very few Black female computer scientists and one of the most rewarding experiences from being on the SpelBots is making myself a positive example for minorities and females to pursue degrees in the technology.”
With a first-place finish under their belt, SpelBots are preparing to compete in the Nao League at RoboCup 2010 in Singapore.
“SpelBots is the best thing that has happened to me,” added Miller. “To be able to be a part of [this] team is certainly an honor. Being able to travel around working and inspiring others to pursue fields they believed they were incapable of previously is wonderful. SpelBots is not just a robotics team, we are living anti-stereotypes that encourage others to step out of the norm and pursue their dreams, just as we are.”
Comments
"The Spelman College robotics team, SpelBots, tied for first place in the RoboCup Japan 2009 Standard Platform League Nao League humanoid soccer championship on May 10, 2009, in Osaka, Japan."
As you can see the author never stated that the SpelBots participated in RoboCup 2009 in Graz, Austria. To comment on your statement that Japan has been running the Nao league for 5 years, The Nao league itself is about to enter into its 3rd year as being the platform for RoboCup. Not only is this already dispelling your statement about Japan having this competition for 5 years however if this isn't enough proof then please explain to me why there was only one team in which the SpelBots were competing against? surely after being "running strong" for 5 years and being Japan they would have had more people using such an intricate humanoid robot.
I have no choice but to conclude this of you RoboCupper. I don't know exactly what the SpelBots have done to make you so plainly jealous enough to post on every article on them I've seen, but I'm just unable to comprehend how a group of no more than four sophomores (prob juniors by now) young ladies who are working hard on robotics can cause such hate. Simply the fact that they are able to compete against graduate and technical schools as an HBCU undergraduate not to mention all girls school already shows that they are incredibly courageous and intelligent individuals. I suggest that you find some other subjects to direct your blind hate towards. After seeing your comments I can feel nothing but inspiration for these young women who will continue to do great things despite people like you.
to counter you who is doing so much to discredit these SpelBots I will reference this response to each one your unnecessary criticism. If anyone want to see the article I am referring to it can be located here. it is a very detailed article explaining what really happened.
http://www.scientificblogging.com/news_articles/girls_robots_and_japan_s...
Anonymous (not verified) | 11/02/09 | 19:09 PM
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Well, to be precise (which helps in avoiding misunderstandings) there officially is no "Nao Humanoid League". There are:
-the Nao Standard Platform League where the Spelbots compete. Here, all teams use Nao robots, hence it is called the standard platform league.
-the Humanoid League, further subdivided into KidSize and TeenSize subleagues. Here, teams are allowed and encouraged to build and use their own robots, while obeying the rules imposed on robot construction.
I noticed that the more I google SpelBots the more I see your responses saying the exact same thing even if its not relevant to the article itself.
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Well I commented about this on two occassions, on both counts very relevant to the article.
This article clearly states that they were speaking on the Japan 2009 open. here is an exert from THIS article:
"The Spelman College robotics team, SpelBots, tied for first place in the RoboCup Japan 2009 Standard Platform League Nao League humanoid soccer championship on May 10, 2009, in Osaka, Japan."
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Yeah and the title of the article clearly states "Spelbots Tie For First In Robocup 2009" which is plain wrong. You also find "Japan’s RoboCup 2009" and "RoboCup 2009 was their first robotics competition." in the text. People with no prior knowledge of RoboCup will therefore tend to think about the event in Japan as the "RoboCup 2009" competition, which it is not.
As you can see the author never stated that the SpelBots participated in RoboCup 2009 in Graz, Austria.
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Of course not, RoboCup 2009 in Graz, Austria, isn´t mentioned anywhere in the text, only RoboCup 2010 in Singapore is.
To comment on your statement that Japan has been running the Nao league for 5 years, The Nao league itself is about to enter into its 3rd year as being the platform for RoboCup.
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Please read again. I wrote that the Humanoid League exists since more than 5 years. This league also features humanoid robots, showing the author´s clear lack of knowledge when he states "Invited by the RoboCup Japan organization to participate in its first-ever humanoid robot competition.."
Not only is this already dispelling your statement about Japan having this competition for 5 years however if this isn't enough proof then please explain to me why there was only one team in which the SpelBots were competing against? surely after being "running strong" for 5 years and being Japan they would have had more people using such an intricate humanoid robot.
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As mentioned above, you haven´t dispelled anything, you just didn´t read my comment carefully. As to why the Japan Open featured only 2 Nao teams: It is a regional competition, with the Standard Platform League using Naos being very young, there weren´t many competitors. At RoboCup 2009 in Graz however, 24 teams participated in the Standard Platform League, so there certainly is international competition, even if it didn´t show up at Japan Open 2009.
Besides, you´re trying to create a strawman here with introducing the vocabulary of "running strong" which I never used.
I have no choice but to conclude this of you RoboCupper. I don't know exactly what the SpelBots have done to make you so plainly jealous enough to post on every article on them I've seen, but I'm just unable to comprehend how a group of no more than four sophomores (prob juniors by now) young ladies who are working hard on robotics can cause such hate. Simply the fact that they are able to compete against graduate and technical schools as an HBCU undergraduate not to mention all girls school already shows that they are incredibly courageous and intelligent individuals. I suggest that you find some other subjects to direct your blind hate towards. After seeing your comments I can feel nothing but inspiration for these young women who will continue to do great things despite people like you.
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You´re way off the mark with your appeal to emotion here. My comment has nothing to do with hate, only with factual accuracy. I wish the Spelbots all the best and I´m very impressed with what such a small team of sophomores accomplished. My criticism is not directed against the Spelbots team, but against the bad journalism that forms parts of the article I commented on.
RoboCupper (not verified) | 11/03/09 | 04:20 AM
Oh and "Invited by the RoboCup Japan organization to participate in its first-ever humanoid robot competition" is also completely wrong. The RoboCup humanoid league exists since more than 5 years and matches were held regulary at every Japan Open.