Pensacola (November 21, 2008) - 16-year-old’s robot commands notice
Carmen Paige
cpaige@pnj.com
Madison Fortenberry got the surprise of his 16 years Friday when Sharon Santurri came to his physics class at Pace High School with a message from U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller.
Santurri, district representative for Miller, read Miller’s remarks for the Congressional Record that noted the teenager’s accomplishments in robotics.
“I never dreamed of this happening,” Madison said. “I’m grateful and proud.”
Madison has created a 5-foot, 220-pound, self-navigating robot.
The Versatile General-Purpose Experimental Robot carries messages around Pace High, and has a Web cam for video conferences and a wireless Internet connection.
“Robots like the VGER are usually developed in advanced engineering labs of major universities; however Mr. Fortenberry has created his robot with little assistance from his teachers,” said Miller, R-Chumuckla. “To have accomplished this enormous feat at such a young age is a testament to Madison’s dedication and passion in the robotics field.”
Madison’s interest in science began at the dinner table when he was a child.
“My dad would tell us about atoms and nuclear physics,” he said. “We didn’t know what it meant, but we sucked it up like a sponge.”
Madison said his college major will be in the robotics field.
“I want to bring industry to Pensacola because it’s near home and is research-heavy with businesses like the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition,” he said.
Madison’s skill is limitless, said Michael McFee, his physics teacher.
“We’ve just started to scratch the surface,” he said. “We will be hearing a lot about him because of his capabilities.”
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