It’s official—Mid-State's robotic dog has a name, and it's paw-sitively clever! After a fun and creative naming campaign, the community has spoken, and the robot dog is now known as Bark Twain. The name comes courtesy of Grace Will, an 11th grader at Marshfield High School.

“I was trying to think of punny names, and I thought of bark and how that could be translated into a clever name,” says Grace. “Then, I tried to think of famous people whose first name was Mark, and so Bark Twain was created.”

Bark Twain is a state-of-the-art quadruped robot that showcases the future of automation and technology. The remote-controlled robot dog is used in Mid-State’s Civil Engineering Technology-Highway Technician program and can build 3D maps using its drone-like capabilities. With the remote, students can guide Bark Twain as it gathers data while mapping out its surroundings. The robot’s light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors create a point cloud image that is uploaded into specialized software to build detailed models—skills that are critical for the next generation of engineers.

Grace found it interesting to learn how Bark Twain can be used by Mid-State’s students. “Technology like this will continue to change how we can learn,” she says.

In addition to Bark Twain’s “job” as a learning tool, he can also perform a variety of tricks, including sitting, waving, rolling over, and even doing flips. 

The naming campaign, which ran from February 1 to March 10, 2025, invited the public to get creative and suggest a name for the robot. Nominations were accepted in-person at Mid-State on Central and the Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering Technology, and Apprenticeship (AMETA™) Center, where visitors had the chance to meet Bark Twain before submitting their suggestions.

After narrowing down the options to the top four names, a public vote was held on Mid-State’s Facebook page. With 24 votes, Bark Twain emerged victorious, outpacing other contenders:

• Bark Twain – 24 votes
• Byte – 17 votes
• Titan – 11 votes
• Caeser – 3 votes

Bark Twain will officially begin assisting in classrooms in spring 2025, helping students explore the exciting world of advanced manufacturing and civil engineering technology.