COEUR d'ALENE - A privately funded robotics and engineering education program in Coeur d'Alene and surrounding area high schools answers the age-old question of gum-popping daydreamers in science and math classrooms everywhere: How does this apply to real life?

The TeraViks, a Coeur d'Alene FIRST Robotics Competition team, are happily up to their elbows in answers to that question.

"The really neat thing about this program is we can be talking about projection or torque or motion, and they've all heard the terminology, but they often don't know what it means," says TeraViks head coach Brian Induni, who holds a degree in mechanical engineering. "When they see the practical applications, they say, 'Oh. So that's what it means."

For the past 21 years, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology high school robotics teams across the nation have been given six weeks to create a robot.

This year, the challenge is similar to a game of basketball: Once the students design, program and construct their basketball shooter, six of the robots will be placed on a court with 18 basketballs to compete in 2 1/2-minute elimination matches.

The robots must be able to scoop up balls, maneuver down the floor over ramps and bumps, and then score baskets. The finale requires the robots balance on a teeter-totter-like bridge with one or two other robots. The bot most proficient at those tasks wins.

The TeraViks are using vision tracking technology to lock on to the basket in order to shoot, which required them to create software that adjusted for length, distance, and height.

For all FIRST high school teams, "Stop Build" day is midnight Tuesday, when participants must put down their wrenches, welders and laptop lids.

In March, the TeraViks team takes its robot to Portland to compete against teams from as far away as Mexico City, Hawaii and Alaska.

For students, the experience moves scientific concepts out of the realm of the abstract and into the real world.

Pam Induni, business and marketing mentor for the Coeur d'Alene team, shared a story that illustrates how that happens:

"A couple of years ago, in our very first year, the kids had built a robot to launch T-shirts. One of the students thought it would be fun to see if he could launch a soda can into an empty parking lot - well, empty except for his car. He said 'Do you think it will hit my car?'" So the other kids said, 'Let's figure it out.' So four kids start to do calculations on a white board, and they decide yes, he should move the car. They launch the soda, and it hits right where he had been parked. So they were right. Their calculations were right. Calculus and physics at its best."

There are currently 2,300-plus FIRST Robotics Competition teams in high schools around the world, including teams at Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls, Timberlake, Lakeland and Bonners Ferry high schools.

"These kids are also learning how to build a brand," said Pam Induni, who works for IBM as a marketing manager in their software division. "They have developed a logo, a website and a business plan, and they are reaching out into the community to share the message of FIRST."

In their first year of completion the TeraViks earned the Rookie All Star Award at the Oregon Regional Competition, and with it, a spot competing at the FIRST World Championship in Atlanta. In 2011, the team earned a special Judge's Award for, among other things, their professionalism.

Though the competitions provide motivation, the goal of the program is to introduce kids to hands-on work in science, technology, engineering and math, and to help pave the way to post-secondary education, and ultimately careers, in those fields. FIRST provides participants access to $14 million in college scholarships.

"As coaches of the TeraViks, we strive to ensure that every graduating senior on our robotics team goes on to college," Pam Induni said. "All 12 of our seniors who have graduated have been accepted into colleges."

The TeraViks are a team of 20 students, including freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.

"When you see the difference it's making with the kids, it's so worth the time," said Brian Induni, self-employed business development consultant. "This program is all about spreading inspiration to pursue science and technology, and about transforming our culture. We want our kids to dream about becoming science and technology leaders, not just movie stars."

Info: www.teraviks.com

Donna Emert is with University of Idaho Communications.