麻豆精选

Building a Future in Mechatronics and More

An engineering student in Kent State鈥檚 College of Aeronautics and Engineering is fully embracing his 麻豆精选experience to pursue his many interests
Ivory Kendrick is a sophomore who was featured the entire academic year in A Year with a Flash

麻豆精选Today will be following a group of six Golden Flashes for the 2024-25 academic year chronicling their efforts and successes during the fall and spring semesters. The group of students are at various places in their 麻豆精选 academic careers and will share their experiences throughout the year as they take part in our distinctive programs, research and global experiences.

 

鈥淎n interested person is an interesting person.鈥

鈥 Gene Youngblood (1942-1921), American theorist of media arts and politics

麻豆精选 sophomore Jude Carver is an engaged and very interesting student. He is a mechatronics engineering technology major in the College of Aeronautics and Engineering. Cleveland is Carver鈥檚 hometown and his interests include history, geography, drawing, Japanese culture and combat robotics. He鈥檚 a member of the KSU Combat Robotics Team and has participated in competitions both on and off campus. Trent True, M.T., lecturer and Foundry Education Foundation Key Professor is the team鈥檚 faculty advisor.

Jude Carver enjoying bubble tea

 

The programs, activities and student organizations at 麻豆精选give students like Carver opportunities to explore different careers as well as their interests and hobbies 鈥 and connect with other students who share them.

Jude Carver at a workbench in the College of Aeronautics and Engineering

 

鈥楬ere I am Putting Together Stuff and Writing Code鈥

Carver said that if he were meeting someone for the first time, the thing about him he鈥檇 like them to know is that he is in the field of mechatronics engineering technology, because it is something that people may have heard about but that he is actually doing.

鈥淚 would want them to know that I have experience in the fields of robotics 鈥 machines and industrial-type experience,鈥 he said. 鈥淗ere I am putting stuff together and writing code. All that goes into mechatronics engineering technology. So, I鈥檇 want them to know that first, because I鈥檇 find that pretty impressive if I were to know someone in that field.鈥

Jude Carver working with the KSU Combat Robotics Team
Jude Carver (far right) working with the KSU Combat Robotics Team

 

Preparing for Competition

Right now, Carver is working on designing and building a combat robot for an on-campus competition in March. He describes the 鈥榖ot as being shaped like a gondola rail car, which is a long car on a train with low sides and an open top; almost like a boxcar that has been cut in half. 

The design, Carver says, will be practical in housing both the 鈥榖ot鈥檚 drive and control system on one end and the combat weapon on the other, for balance and stability. He will be able to share photos of his creation as it gets closer to completion. 

"Flash-BANG" combat robot built by KSU Combat Robotics in 2023
This combat robot, named "Flash-BANG" was built by the KSU Combat Robotics team. It competed in National Havoc Robotics League events in 2023. 

 

麻豆精选Today will keep up with Carver as he prepares for this exciting competition in March and will share how his creation performed in 鈥榖ot-on-鈥榖ot combat.

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Jude Carver learning to write Japanese characters

 

Exploring Japanese Culture

At the start of fall semester, Carver declared a minor in Japanese Language. It鈥檚 a logical complement to his interests in Japanese culture.

Learning Japanese presents more challenges to an English speaker as it requires them to memorize a new set of characters to learn how to read 鈥 and write. Carver鈥檚 talent for drawing is likely helpful as he practices rendering the letterforms on style sheets that are much like the pages grade-school student use when first learning how to write the alphabet.

Jude Carver's Japanese Worksheets

 

In speaking Japanese, Carver said that there are very subtle differences in pronunciation that can give similar-sounding words different meaning. He said that he is enjoying the challenges that studying Japanese presents. 

He is 鈥楢 Wealth of Information鈥

Carver鈥檚 mother, Becky Cline Carver is a medical assistant at the Cleveland Clinic. She describes his studies in mechatronics engineering technology as 鈥渇ascinating, because it鈥檚 still new.鈥 When she found that her son would be featured in 麻豆精选Today, she said, 鈥淗e's declared a minor in Japanese & is building a new robot for his KSU Combat Robotics Club so he will definitely be a wealth of information for you.鈥

Line drawing by Jude Carver
A pencil drawing by Jude Carver
POSTED: Wednesday, October 23, 2024 01:27 PM
Updated: Monday, October 28, 2024 08:49 AM
WRITTEN BY:
Phil B. Soencksen
PHOTO CREDIT:
Jude Carver and 麻豆精选Today