A group of Farmingdale High School (FHS) students recently exceeded even their own expectations, when they created a full-size, working robot that will be entered into a national science and technology competition.

About 20 youngsters were involved in the project, and were assisted by a group of 26 engineers from KeySpan Energy. The KeySpan employees volunteered their time with the students in the creation of the robot over the last few weeks for the "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology" (FIRST) Competition. FIRST was founded by an engineer from New Hampshire, whose mission is to generate interest in science and engineering among today's youth.

"I wasn't sure if it was going to work or not, because it was our first time. So I was really happy when we got it to work," said student creator Rob Roddy in describing his reaction to the finished product.

The students are still tweaking their invention as they prepare it for peak performance in the regional portion of the FIRST competition. After displaying the masterpiece to the media on Tuesday, they continued putting some finishing touches on it, and plan to ship it off today to meet the contest's Feb. 19 entry deadline.

During the event, the FHS robot will be up against others in a game that requires both speed and strength. The object of the competition is to acquire points by picking up balls, carrying them across a field, and placing them in a trough. The robot will be remotely controlled, and points can also be gained by accomplishing such stunts as parking on a ramp, or getting the robot to suspend itself in mid-air by a pole. The robot with the most points wins.

The regional competition will take place at Suffolk Community College in Selden beginning March 23. If the FHS creation passes that stage, it will move on to the national judging, which will be held at Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida, beginning on April 6.

The experience has not only generated excitement about science and technology for the students, it has helped them get their feet wet in a field that many of them plan to pursue as a career. The competition has also served as a valuable primer for college study for the prospective engineers, noted their FHS teacher and coordinator of the project, John Scelzo.

"A lot of the knowledge they would get in college about engineering - they've picked up here," he said. "It's shown them what engineering would really be like."

For student Jerrod Bradley, who was drawn to the project by his love of mechanics and remote-controlled machinery, the experience has spurred extra enthusiasm for a possible career in science and technology. The close cooperation required for the project has also helped him hone communication skills that he will need for success throughout his life. "It taught me to work with people who are different from me," he said. "Because I was able to see we can all work together."

KeySpan not only provided volunteers to help the students with design, the company donated materials and funds for building the robot. The project has been a unique school-business partnership, and according to KeySpan Engineer Paul Gutliotta, is helping to recruit young engineers, who are in high demand. "The engineering field needs good minds to bring us forward to the next century," he said. Gutliotta noted that mechanical design endeavors such as this also foster teamwork, and the development of problem-solving skills in the students. "It gives the insight and discipline to go from nothing to something," he said.

KeySpan Designer Mike Donahue, who also volunteered with the students, added that the program has helped build self-confidence in the youngsters. "Hopefully, they'll get some jobs in which this experience will be helpful for them," he said.