The virtual robotics is working at last, and 4 more robots are coming next term!

Well it's been a huge learning curve for the robot team, for both the students and parent helpers/teachers! We now have the program established with the virtual robotics working and 4 more robot kits on the way! The students have been very patient through various teething problems, this weeks one was that the ipads were on the other campus and not charged doh! and next term should run more smoothly. Please keep in mind though that we are an informal parent lead after school club, and the parent helpers are there to guide and facilitate the kids learning, so there is always going to be an element of slight chaos.

We would like to welcome 2 more parent helpers to the team for next term. Craig, an industrial designer/engineer and Chintha, who works in IT, so they will a great source of expertise for the kids. Big thanks to the parents who have helped out in term 1-Dan of course, who has put a lot of time and energy into making the program work, Michael, Gede, Sarah, myself (go me), as well as the Westgarth teaching and support staff.

In this weeks session first we watched a video on the history of robotics, it featured a defecating duck automaton which was a hit with the French aristocracy in the 17th Century among other things which you can watch here

As well as a video of the competition we will be entering in August to give the kids an idea of what kind of robot we will need to build and program which you can watch here;

We had a discussion about the things we would need to learn for the competition and then we got into groups to try and make the robots either pick or move something or follow a line

The robot follows a line through using the light sensor. The students made lines with electrical tape that the robot could follow.

One group attached a pen to the robot and drew shapes, no pic, you'll just have to believe me, while someone else brought a robot from home and made it go through a maze using a remote.

And another group got to have a go with the virtual robotics at last.

It's been great to see everyone's enthusiasm and interest for robotics and see you all next term!