“TECH playground for children” is the name of the project by which IPC Tehnopolis brought together children ages 4 to 15 to learn the basics of programming, robotics, and 3D printing creatively and innovatively.
Through working with robots and 3D printers, children will develop basic STEM skills (a set of skills related to engineering, technology, and science) through design, production, and programming. Also, numerous skills such as creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication will be learned.
Within the program, 3 robotics training courses for ages 4 to 15, and training courses on 3D modeling and printing for elementary school pupils will be organized.
The robotics course for preschoolers is designed in a way that children become active participants, but not just users of digital technologies. The Thames and Cosmos robots, that will be used in the course, are already used around the world in regular classes and no additional equipment such as phones, tablets, or computers are required to encode them. The robots are first assembled, placed on the base, the story is created and then the coding is started. The whole program is adapted to their age, so those with already existing intellectual skills can follow and easily make robots do various fun and amazing things.
With the help of Lego Boost robots, children over the age of 7 will be introduced to coding and robotics. Classes will start with the construction of robots, which requires great precision because each of them consists of over 800 parts, after which it starts with coding by the Boost application, which is very easy to manage. In the classes, children will also develop creativity, organizational and planning skills, train patience, and develop problem-solving skills.
In the Lego Mindstorms programming course for children over the age of 10, besides the well-known LEGO bricks, participants will be introduced to various elements such as servo motors and various sensors like those for light, color or touch. A particularly important element that represents the brain of the robot is the EV3 Intelligent Brick – a small but powerful computer that carries huge capabilities and which provides the ability to control the engine and collect sensor feedback.
These elements will allow participants to assemble robots, but also to enable and control its movement, color recognition, or obstacles through its programming with the help of EV3 computers and related programs. Robot programming and coding are intuitive, easy to use, and full of challenging features for the pupil who will be introduced to basic programming and coding tools and commands.
Classes in the training of 3D modeling and printing for children in primary school are based on the didactic game “Kideville”. Through the game “Kideville” in individual and teamwork, pupil design, project, model and 3D print the city from children’s imagination. Students will gain new knowledge in the field of 3D printing and modeling, spatial geometry, understanding of scaling and proportions in a virtual and real environment as well as the basics of design, engineering, and spatial planning.
The robots that will be used during these training courses were procured to create new generations, which are expected to generate and implement innovations based on new technologies.
