The Hutchinson School Board Monday formally approved the purchase of a Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics robot for the Career and Technical Education Academy. The district received a 22-thousand dollar grant from Cargill to purchase the Aldebaran Robotics NAO H25 robot from DEPCO LLC in Pittsburg, Kansas, as well as associated software licenses, curriculum and maintenance.

The 23-inch-tall humanoid robot has a multitude of sensors and has the ability to synthesize speech as well as has 25 degrees of freedom for extreme mobility.

David Patterson with the Hutchinson Career and Technical Education Academy says programming students are excited to begin working with this state of the art technology, saying MIT uses these robots in their curriculum and classes. He says they look forward to using it at open houses and for tours and events, as well as demonstrations to younger students at various schools throughout the district.

Steve Stacey, electronics and computer networking teacher at the academy will use the robot with many of his classes as well.

The board also approved the purchase of new band uniforms. The last time Hutch High sported new band uniforms, the vast majority of students at the school weren’t born and that was in 1996.

The cost for the new uniforms is nearly 87-thousand, 660-dollars.

Band Director Daryl Koestel has been working on new uniforms for more than a year, gaining input from students and staff. Only one bid was received for the uniforms from Fruhauf.

The new uniforms will be ready for the 2013 marching season in the fall. The current uniforms will be declared surplus and will be sent to auction.