A lesser-known team at Northwest is dedicated to turning a beloved kids’ toy into a thing of the future.
The Northwest Community Schools Autonomous Innovative Vehicle Design (AIVD) team is managed by John Horvath-Frias and is coached by personal finance teacher Randi Watts. As a team, they compete against other schools in the local area.
There are currently 10 students who are a part of the AIVD team, including John Horvarth-Frias, Evan Hampton, Holliss Rumler, Joseph Friend, Daniel Kimilat, Mathew Horvarth-Frias, Lincoln Kirchburg, Elliott Wernet, John Beacher, and Ethan Ruggles.
The team takes all of the electrical components of toy Jeeps and swaps them out with their custom parts, in turn, programming the trucks to drive themselves. Some features given to the Jeeps include lane assist and cruise control.
The team does this by adding sensors, motor controllers, and much more. However, the team is trying to do something different by adding a Jeep cover over the new car they are working on.
“Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t,” said Horvarth-Frias. “It’s all about trying new things.”
Horvarth-Frias has been doing robotics for six years, starting in 7th grade. During his first year, he was on all three teams: FRC, AIVD, and FTC. He has since transitioned to singularly focusing on AIVD as their captain.
The team meetings, held every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday; will usually start with Horvarth-Frias writing down the agenda for the day. These will typically include little tasks for everyone to do to keep them moving forward.
Last year, the robotics team got shut down because the old coach, Michelle VandyBogurt, moved to teach at Jonesville High School. Thankfully, Horvarth-Frias was able to find a new coach fit for the team, Mrs. Randi Watts.
“I am lucky to work with such a great group of students,” said Watts.
Sophomore Daniel Kimalat is one of the members of the AIVD team, and he has been in robotics programs for five years.
“I really enjoy being on the team,” said Kimalat. “I am learning new skills for a career I want to pursue while still hanging out with friends.”
Like Kimalat, anyone can learn when joining the AIVD team. Some of the things one could experience from this opportunity are coding, 3D printing, mechanical design, and so much more.
Joining AIVD provides a chance to learn about automotive design for someone who would like to pursue a future in an advancing technological world.