Building robots is a fun learning experience, and that’s what The Discovery Center is aiming for with their (LEGO®) Robotics class.

Children ages 10-14 are introduced to the basics of building a robot with the use of LEGO®'s Mindstorms® kit. They are grouped into teams and collaborate in building a robot that can pick up objects, run around through obstacles, and possibly even differentiate between red and blue colors. At the end of the camp, the kids will have the chance to create a single robot that can do all of that at the same time!

The kids meet twice a week, with one day dedicated to brainstorming about how to build and design their robot for the week’s task. Subjects for the class include:

• Intro to Robots and Programming - kids will get to control a robot and will be exposed to basic computer programming.
• Bumper Car - robots are created to bump into an obstacle and move around it.
• Avoid Obstacles – kids will utilize the Ultrasonic Sensor that the Mindstorms® robot uses to “see” and program the robot to avoid obstacles.
• Follow a Line – robots can’t chase a ball, but they can very well see light and dark. Children will create a robot that can follow a dark line that goes around in a circle.
• Lifting – robots are not fun if they just run around. Kids will help build a robot that can lift a small tray on top of a stack of books
• Stop at a Color –By playing with the robot’s programming, children will teach their robot to follow a pattern of colors in order to reach a goal.
• Follow a Color and Pick Up – now that the robot is able to distinguish color, the goal is to have it go to a color-coordinated path and lift an object located at the end.
• Student’s Project – a day made especially to unleash the children’s creativity in making a robot that can do one special task, or a combination of two or more.

Classes are held twice a week, Mondays and Wednesdays beginning January 15, 2011 up to February 29. 2011. Registration is for $80 per child. Please visit The Discovery Center’s website for more information, or call the The Discovery Center at (559) 251-5533. The center is located at 1944 N. Winery Avenue, Frenso, CA 93703.

Donna Paulino covers most of the topic for the Fresno Interactive Network, including interviews, profiles, and articles that inspire our readers about our local community. She is the social media manager and web producer for Socient, a Fresno web marketing agency that helps non-profit and community benefit organizations thrive with social media marketing, search engine optimization, and web design.

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