A small robot robustly broke into push-ups in front of a group of enthusiastic children, setting them squealing in fascination.
On Monday, the collective energy of about 250 children from around the city was harnessed at the Young World Summer Safari at C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyer Foundation on Eldams Road. They were run through the basics of robotics, a subject that was complemented by practical knowledge, thanks to handy kits each child was provided with.
Twelve-year-old Natasha Palman took down notes in a notebook with her school’s label on it. With the summer break slowly petering out, she was on learning mode already.
“I read about this workshop and was very excited to learn about robotics,” the tween said, gingerly connecting a wire to a project board that she was provided with. A buzz erupted when she made the right connection and Natasha’s face broke into a satisfied grin.
For M.K. Swaminathan, chief inspiration officer of aRobots, who conducted the workshop on the first day, there is a need to get children on board as far as robotics education is concerned. “Robotics is seen only as a hobby. But of late, lots of children are showing interest in learning more about robotics,” he said.
One such child would be 15-year-old Ravi Ranga, who, along with his family, had left United States, and returned to India last year. “I want to pursue a career in automotives, and robotics basics will really help me get there,” said the teen, who attends weekend classes to aRobots.
Summer Safari will be held for five more days, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., with children being engaged in vocabulary, photography and cooking workshops as well.
The title sponsor is Arun Ice Cream. The camp is powered by Little Nathella. Associate sponsors include Hindustan International School, Indian Overseas Bank, and Naidu Hall. Gifts are sponsored by Classmate, Funskool, INOX, Just books, Naturo, Pitstop, Reynolds, Roshan- The Bag Mall, The French Loaf, and VGP Universal Kingdom.
