Weatherly Institute for Robotics and Engineering guru Stephan Kew-Goodale, standing with bushy hair and a gray beard, with a robot in each hand, is Weatherly’s answer to George Lucas. With a seemingly inexhaustible supply of high tech creative ideas, he is gaining a following among Carbon and Luzerne students who are looking for a technical challenge.

The Institute, now in its own building at 103 Carbon Street in Weatherly, is the outgrowth of Kew-Goodale’s Weatherly Robotics Club that started in 2004 with support from the Weatherly Rotary Club. “We discovered through an interviewing process that the kids in Weatherly were bored out of their gourd with nothing to do in the summertime,” said Kew-Goodale.

Kew-Goodale, who works as a computer consultant, moved to Weatherly when his wife, Martha, wanting to be closer to her family, took a job as business manager for the school district.

Among the items he brought with him to Weatherly were two robotics kits left over from a previous High Adventure Boy Scout Explorer Post. “I suggested, that we start a Robotics Club,” said Kew-Goodale. “We opened that summer to 25 kids coming through the door without advertising or anything except word of mouth.”

The Club, which has expanded in every way, including its new name—the Weatherly Institute for Robotics and Engineering, now includes electronics, animatronics, robotics and computer game design. The change took place in early 2006 with the intention of becoming a 501-C3 non-profit organization. Although the paperwork has yet to be completed, the Institute has received grants, business donations, and personal donations.

There is no cost to the students. Kids start as young as six and go to age 18. Kew-Goodale encourages the older kids to mentor the younger ones.

The youngest group begins working with Legos, science readings from books, some robot building, and storyboarding to get creativity and communications skills going. The middle group works with Lego Mindstorm kits. These contain a programmable brick to which the Legos parts are assembled to integrate sensing and motion. The oldest group constructs robots from metal parts, pneumatics and electronics.

The groups compete in FIRST - For Recognition of Science and Technology. The competitions against other robotics clubs require that the robots complete a set of tasks, often incorporating locating, moving and lifting.

The Institute’s latest venture is in animatronics. Animatronics are seen in theme parts where characters move, show facial expressions and speak. Kew-Goodale plans to have several animatronic creatures developed for Weatherly’s Train Works Haunted Halloween—four weekends in October 2008.

“They will talk, move and raise facial expressions,” said Kew-Goodale. “They can perform tasks like throwing a spear or playing a guitar. It should be startling enough to lend some spookiness.”

The Institute is working on a computer game to explore the consequences of Global Warming. It begins with the assumption that the sea level has risen 46 feet and there is no place left on Earth for all the people to go. The solution is to colonize other planets. The gamers will need to select a planet, a ship, and a propulsion system. During the journey, they have to overcome challenges of radiation, meteorites and a lifetime in space to reach these outlying planets. Kew-Goodale hopes to interest NASA once the project is underway.

“When you see the kids get it. When the lights come on in their eyes and they get it. They get enthusiastic, that’s the biggest reward that any human being deserves,” said Kew-Goodale.

For information about the Weatherly Institute for Robotics and Engineering, call 570-427-2362, or stop in at 103 Carbon St. in Weatherly.