Fox Valley Robotics kicks off a new season of robotics for kids Sept. 3
Registration is now open for the Fox Valley Robotics and Batavia Robotics' 18th season with new robotics challenges for kids in first through 12th grade.
The LegoWolves Division for first- through third-graders will take on communities in the new challenge "Boomtown Build." These young kids work with Lego pieces to construct a robotics model which relates to their current challenge which involves improving the cities, towns, and places we call home. The kids will wrap up 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 "City Shaper." Kids will use teamwork and imagination to solve problems involving communities and towns like transportations, accessibility, and natural disasters. Limited only by their imaginations these teams will try to provide direction for a better future for everyone. In the "City Shaper 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 "community" solutions.
In the eighth- to 12th-grade Coyotes Division, there are two different competitions that the kids can participate. The VEX Tower Takeover Game is played on a 12-foot 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 stacking cubes in towers or on goals. 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 Dee Karabowicz, a mechanical engineer and one of the lead instructors for the organization. "Imagination is their only limitation."
An informational meeting for those interested in joining is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3, at Rotolo Middle School, 1501 S. Raddant, Batavia. Enter at doors N11.
The organization hosts competition events in November, December, January, and February, with 30-60 teams attending in different robotic challenges.
The FVR/BR group is celebrating their 18th 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, they are recognized by many schools and school districts in the area for their quality programs and provide kids throughout the year the ability to explore the world of robotics with a variety of programs. Registration is now open.
For more information, visit www.foxvalleyrobotics.com.