CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Whirring metal-girder robots, propelled by plastic omnidirectional wheels and controlled remotely by computer programs, roll across the smooth concrete lab floor while middle-school-age students click away at keyboards, hold serious discussions and cheer each other on.
This is just another day in the advanced LEGO robotics camp, one of several STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) camps hosted at Cleveland State Community College this summer.
“It’s our brain telling the computer what to do,” said camp instructor Jennifer Miles, who teaches engineering and computer-assisted drawing classes at Walker Valley High School.
The camp offers real-world challenges and applications, teaching the students about programming logic and how to integrate functions requiring electrical components such as motors, batteries, on/off switches and sensory devices, Miles said.
Common project tasks include elements of grasping or bowling objects coupled with navigation that has to be cognizant of the robot’s surroundings, as robots have to be able to maneuver and still not endanger life and property in real life, she said.