Fox Valley Robotics kick off season of robotics for kids
Fox Valley Robotics and Batavia Robotics is opening registration for its 15th season with new robotics challenges for kids in first to 12th grades.
The LegoWolves Division for first- to third-graders will take on animals in the new challenge "Creature Craze."
These young kids will work with Lego pieces to construct a robotics model which relates to their current challenge which involves the wonders of the animal kingdom. The kids will culminate their season in February in an event which celebrates their hard work and fun they had displaying their robotic models and poster boards.
The fourth- to eighth-grade LegoDogs Division will be working on FIRST's "Animal Allies." Teams will explore the world of furry, feathered, and finned animal friends. In the Animal Allies Challenge, teams will build, test, and program an autonomous robot using Lego Mindstorms EV3/NXT to solve a set of missions as well as research, develop, and share their innovative "animal" solutions.
In the eighth- to 12th-grade Coyotes Division, there are two different competitions in which the kids can participate.
The VEX StarStruck Game is played on a 12- by 12-foot square field. Two alliances - one "red" and one "blue" - composed of two teams each, compete in matches consisting of a 15-second autonomous period followed by 105 seconds of driver-controlled play.
The object of the game is to attain a higher score than the opposing alliance by scoring the stars and cubes in zones and by hanging robots on the hanging bar. The other challenge for the Coyotes Division will be presented from FIRST and is released in early September.
The goals of the above programs are to have the kids "think beyond the box" and to have fun. The programs allow the kids to go beyond simple box instructions and to formulate the why and how on their own with guidance from instructors and mentors.
"Creativity and ingenuity has no limits when it comes to robotics and what these kids can learn and accomplish" says Denise Karabowicz, a mechanical engineer and one of the lead instructors for the organization.
Informational meetings for those interested in joining are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19; 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20; or 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21, at Rotolo Middle School, 1501 S. Raddant, Batavia. Enter at doors N11. The organization hosts competition events in December, January February, and March with 30-60 teams attending in different robotic challenges.
The group is celebrating its 15th year of robotics for kids. Batavia Robotics has been around since 2002, and adopted the name Fox Valley Robotics in 2007. As a nonprofit, multi-community based organization, it is recognized by many schools and school districts in the area and provide kids throughout the year the ability to explore the world of robotics with a variety of programs. Registration is now open. For details, visit www.foxvalleyrobotics.com.