Meet Lance, Lasalle Secondary School’s latest Lancer

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Students at Lasalle Secondary School are building a life-size humanoid robot.

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The aptly named Lance robot is the first of its kind for a school in Northern Ontario.

Inspired by French sculptor and designer Gael Langevin’s InMoov project, Lance is created with more than 400 3D printed parts and 20 servos that allow the robot to mimic human movements.

The project began during the pandemic when robotics teacher Roger Branconnier was looking for ways to engage students through online learning.

In a traditional robotics class, students work on designs and prototypes. They test their ideas with a variety of components, from CAD design and mechanical assembly to 3D printing, algorithm control, coding, and more.

“When we no longer had access to the technology and tools in the class, I focused on finding another way to teach robotics that would engage students,” Roger Branconnier said in a press release.

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In his search, he discovered InMoov, the first open source 3D printed life-size robot, and a vibrant community of builders. With that he went to work.

“The learning curve for me and my students has been pretty steep,” he said. “But they really enjoyed the opportunity to be part of something special.”

When the teaching was switched back to face-to-face teaching, the project continued. After hundreds of hours of 3D printing and building, and using rudimentary artificial intelligence, Lance can now follow verbal commands, interact with humans, and even answer questions.

While enthusiastic about the success so far, Branconnier said there is still more work to be done. Lasalle’s engineering and robotics students are now building Lance’s left arm.

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There is also room for growth with this project. Students can add cameras to Lance’s eyes to enable face and object recognition, and design wireless gloves or harnesses to move Lance remotely.

“We often get visitors from other classes, and they’re amazed at the robot’s capabilities,” noted Branconnier. “Lance has definitely sparked interest in robotics in students of all levels.”

At Lasalle Secondary School, Lance has become something of a mascot heralding a revival of all things tech.

Lasalle Secondary School Robotics Club is preparing for a Skills Ontario Competition in May. The hockey-themed challenge will test students’ programming and engineering skills by requiring the creation of three robots – two remote-controlled robots and one fully autonomous defense robot.

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“From the curriculum to the clubs, Lasalle Secondary School is forward-thinking,” said Principal Kristina Rivard Gobbo. “Our talented teachers are excited to share their ideas, and students are excited by the endless possibilities offered by our 21st-century classrooms.”

For example, in 9th grade teacher Kyle Craftchick’s programming and animation class, students use the computer software tool Blender to create 3D models and explore the principles of 3D modeling.

Some students combine basic shapes to create a model – like a turtle – while others use sculpting to create models with smoother surfaces – like the animated character Nabo. Students are also encouraged to incorporate aspects of color, texture, and lighting into their projects.

Prospective students and families were invited to learn more about the school’s technology programs and meet Lance the robot during an open house on Wednesday (February 15) at 6pm

To see Lance come to life, click here: bit.ly/LSSLance. To watch Lance interact, click here: bit.ly/LSSLance2.

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