Hermantown Robotics Team Builds Earsavers

HERMANTOWN, Minn.– The Hermantown robotics team has been using their time away from school to help out the best way they know how.

With robotics.

“We’re helping the community even though we’re stuck at home,” said robotics student Jonah Wright.

The Hermantown Cyberhawks are making what they call earsavers. It’s a piece of plastic that people wearing masks can use so it won’t have to have it around their ears.

It’s all being done in the garage of Joel Jaros, the coach of the Cyberhawks. And it’s being done by using the team’s 3-D printer.

Jaros held a meeting with the robotics team to see what they could do to help during the pandemic. He says he’s proud of how his team has come together.

“A lot of people aren’t aware that these kids are capable of making 3-D printed parts and basically coming from their imagination and being able to make whatever they want,” said Jaros.

They chose to make the earsavers over making other kinds of PPE like face shields because of how fast they could produce the earsavers.

The Cyberhawks say they can make 11 earsavers every hour have been making around 200 per day.

The earsavers are all being given out for free all over the Northland. Sending them to grocery stores, hospitals, and anyone who wants them.

“It means a lot to me to help out in our community and it’s hopefully helping out all of the people who have to wear masks like grocers and people who are working at hospitals. It means a lot,” said Lead Robotics Student Jack Jaros.

Students got right to work in late March and their demand has been reaching beyond the Northland and going to hospitals in the Twin Cities and even Chicago.

The small group of robotics students is enjoying the opportunity they have to help their community doing something they love.

“It feels really good because we are still being active in the robotics community and also helping our community. And it’s just really fun,” said Wright.

The Cyberhawks say if people would like to get a package of their earsavers to check out their Facebook page.