The Adelaide City Robotics Club (ACRC), formally known as the Hallett Cove Robotics Club, has been a place for young minds to gather, create, build and collaborate since it was first established in 2013 by father of two, Don Eickhoff.
Over the years the club has mentored and encouraged people of all ages to learn coding and build robotic projects using Arduino and other mechatronics componentry. In more recent years, the club moved to the Adelaide city to be more centrally located. It is now firmly rooted in the basement of the WEA Adult Learning Centre, where a custom-built space was constructed, mostly by Don himself.
However, having this amazing space came at a considerable cost, both in the construction itself and with new monthly expenses. It quickly became apparent that the club would fall on hard times without external financial support. Sponsors were sought out to help the club continue operating.
Daryl Lobbe, Building Designer and owner of Daryl Designs, and father of three sons, offered to sponsor the club. Daryl’s son, Noah, had been attending the club since it first moved into the city. The chance meeting of Noah and Don was quite a unique one and demonstrates not only the small community that Adelaide can be, but also how far-reaching Don’s influence has grown over the years since he first established the robotics club as a fun thing to do with his sons.
Noah had been home-schooled like all his brothers right up to year 10 and while he enjoyed this experience, Noah wanted to expand his opportunities into other areas that needed more specialised teaching. He came to study at Open Access College (OAC) and while most of the teaching was online, there were many opportunities for him to attend the college in person, allowing him to grow relationships with teachers and lecturers who also mentored him. Noah thrived in this environment, finishing his year 11 and 12 with an impressive ATAR score of 98!
In his first year at OAC, he was excited to sign up for the new subject of “Mechatronics”, where he had the most brilliant tech teacher, Chris. Chris inspired and mentored Noah and it was due to this supportive environment that Noah went on to continue his new-found passion for mechatronics learning through years 11 and 12.
During his final years at OAC, Noah had an opportunity to volunteer with Makerspace at the Campbelltown Library. Don was at the library as well, setting up to deliver one of the Techspace Learning’s Arduino based Robotics Workshops. Noah’s curiosity was instantly sparked and he just had to head over and ask Don what he was up to. In his excitement, he showed Don his Year 11 mechatronics project of an automated walking Gecko. While showing the photos and videos of his impressive robot, he explained all the various parts that made up the gecko and mentioned the challenges he had and his methods of programming the bot. He discussed his teacher and mentor Chris, and how helpful he had been in supporting him with this project and Don suddenly looked at him with a dumbfounded and surprised look on his face!
Don, almost emotional, told Noah that his teacher Chris, had actually been one of the early members of the Hallett Cove Robotics club and that he had taught Chris all about Arduino, coding and building mechatronics projects. To know that this young man was now a teacher and inspiring new young minds in robotics simply blew his mind.
After Don finished delivering his Arduino Workshop, he connected with Noah again and invited him to come along to the Robotics Club to “meet the guys” and maybe there could be some paid work opportunities that he might like to engage in. Don knew this young lad had skills and abilities, since seeing the Gecko project, and he also knew he would be a good fit for the Techspace Learning team. Noah was keen to come along, especially at the prospect of some paid work that could support the purchasing of more mechatronics equipment for more personal projects.
Noah attended the club the very next week and it was clear from the beginning that he had found his tribe. In Noah’s words, “I very quickly realised how absolutely mind-boggling earth-shattering brain-blowingly awesome ACRC was (and still is) and having a paid position was irrelevant. These were people like me and I loved spending time with them because they understood me!!”
From there Noah began assisting in the Techspace Learning Workshops, assisting Don’s son, Heath and he absolutely loved it. From then on, he would attend ACRC and help-out wherever and whenever he could. He developed many friendships, and his father noticed a shift in his confidence and knowledge through his attendance at the club. Noah also learnt to become more organized and learnt how to explain technical topics in layman terms, by volunteering at Science Displays and by working as a workshop assistant with Techspace Learning.
For Daryl, providing a financial sponsorship to ACRC was a no-brainer. In his words, “It allowed him to give-back to a not-for-profit organisation who had given his son so much”. At a time when many teens can go down the wrong path, having a club that he could belong to, surrounded by mentors and other young adults with similar interests and mindsets, allowed Noah to continue thriving as he transitioned to studying at university where he is working towards a double degree in mechanical engineering and computer science, majoring in Mechatronics.
He also mentors regularly at the robotics club and works as an assistant at Techspace Learning Workshops and Bottle Rocket Activities. And if that isn’t enough, he also works in the Adelaide Uni Motorsport Team (AUMT) where he is developing his leadership and technical skills even more.
Watching his son continue to rise to challenges, Daryl knows that ACRC remains a pivotal part of Noah’s life and a place where he can relax and have fun. A recent Line Following Competition at the club saw Noah take things to the extremes, when he designed and engineered an impressive 3D modelled line-following robot, a replica of the Motorsport Team’s race car. It had both form and function, and despite it not being able to complete the course, it was hands-down the most impressive piece of engineering in the competition.
And this is the Adelaide City Robotics Club… a place to learn, be challenged and try try again, in a non-judgmental and supportive environment. We are so grateful to Daryl and his organization, who continue to provide financial support towards our club, so that we can continue to instill skills and confidence in more young people just like Noah. We hope Noah will continue to attend the club and one day work as a facilitator, delivering robotics workshops to those who also want to extend themselves and learn new things.