New Turf Robot Helps Keep KUA in Line

Employing a common sports motto - work smarter not harder - led the KUA Grounds team to employ a new member, one which will be keeping KUA in line. Introducing Sherman the Turf Tank, an autonomous line marking robot. 

Before Sherman’s arrival, two grounds employees worked nearly a full day each to line, string, measure, and paint the boundary lines that stretch across each playing field. Using the robot, it only takes between 35 and 40 minutes per field. Sherman - piloted by Grounds team member Chris Cook - is operating on five of the seven athletic fields on campus. 

Grounds Manager John Murphy says the new addition is also more environmentally friendly. “It’s battery operated instead of gas powered, which provides cleaner air,” he says. 

While it’s not a new device by any means - the original creation came from the mind of a Danish high-school student in 2015 - KUA is currently the only school in the Lakes Region to use one. Additionally, the Turf Tank isn’t limited to only athletic lines. It can also paint logos, or as one student jokes, maybe an invitation to prom. 

STEM Director Ryan McKeon and his Computer Science class joined Cook and Sherman for a demonstration before a busy weekend of games. McKeon hoped to show students a real-life application of coding “in an area where they might not think it extends to,” and to provide the opportunity for them to understand how writing code can make something legitimately operate - like tight maneuvering to paint precise lines.

“Technology is all around us and we use it all the time, every day,” McKeon says. “My goal as an educator is to equip students with an understanding of how these systems work and hopefully get them to the point where they can let their creativity and vision guide more ways to use technology productively in our lives.”