It was Edgewood Middle School engineering and technology teacher Abbi Richcreek’s dream to see a robot ride a horse, and she saw the dream become a reality Friday and Saturday night at the Shipshewana Wild Wild West Equestrian Variety Show at the Michiana Event Center. Seventh-graders Milana Whitaker (R) and Owen Stevens (L) spent several weeks programming Rowdy the NAO robot. At the start of the second half of the show, Whitaker led Rowdy out on the horse while Stevens carried the laptop with the robot’s program ready to go. After they got to one end of the arena, and the announcer introduced them, Whitaker unsnapped the horse as she activated the program by touching Rowdy’s head. Rowdy turned the horse. The pony was supposed to go around the arena twice, but due to being anxious she only did it once Saturday. Rowdy stopped the horse by pulling back. The whole segment took about 1-1/2 minutes and was done before a crowd of thousands both nights. Rowdy may be the first robot to ever ride a horse, possibly a Guinness Book of World Records feat, according to organizers. Photo by David Slone.
