NASA, VASC Help Boy Scouts Earn Robotics Merit Badges

NASA's Langley Research Center and the Virginia Air & Space Center (VASC) welcomed hundreds of boy scouts to earn their first ever robotics badge as part of a partnership between NASA and the Boy Scouts of America.

Scouts and leaders came to the VASC for the kick-off of a series of Robotics merit badge events on September 17. The event allowed local Boy Scouts to participate in special activities that will help them achieve portions of the new Robotics merit badge. Scouts will have the chance to talk to engineers from NASA Langley and view demonstrations by NASA, the VASC, robotics teams and more.

To earn the Robotics merit badge, a scout is required to understand how robots move, sense the environment and understand what to do. Scouts will spend approximately 14 hours meeting the badge requirements, during which they will design and demonstrate a robot. The BSA anticipates more than 10,000 Robotics merit badges will be earned the first year. The first 500 scouts to complete the robotic requirements may be awarded a merit badge that flew on the space shuttle Endeavour during the STS-134 mission earlier this year.

For more information about the Robotics merit badge please go to:
http://www.boyslife.org/robotics

Photo credit: NASA/Sean Smith