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Red Hot Robots: Mt. Lebanon hosts science camp

By Paul Paterra staff Writer ppaterra@observer-Reporter.Com 3 min read
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Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter

Alex Ding, 8, and Zachary Bober, 9, were among the 24 youngsters who participated in the recent Red Hot Robots camp at the Mt. Lebanon Recreation Department.

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Photos: Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter

Jovan Luo, 9, works with Sathya Narayan, 9, on his robot.

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Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter

Amanda Comeau, president of Mad Science of Pittsburgh, offers some help to Brooks Baker, 7, during the Red Hot Robots camp.

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Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter

Saira Singh, 10, of Mt. Lebanon, takes a break from working on her robot.

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Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter

Zachary Bober, 9, and Aklex Ding, 8, put wires on the dashboard of their robots.

A group of youth were working at a fever pitch one recent summer day at Mt. Lebanon Recreation Department.

The 24 youngsters were taking part in a camp presented by Mad Science of Pittsburgh called “Red Hot Robots,” held Aug. 15-19. The camp was available for students entering grades 1-6.

“This is a five-day, robot-building program,” said Amanda Comeau, president of Mad Science of Pittsburgh. “They start with a robot from a kit. We do a different kit each year. This one is a ton of fun.”

The Mad Science group is an international company headquartered in Montreal that specializes in delivering educational and entertaining science experiences for children by presenting concepts in a visual and interactive manner. Red Hot Robots is a program developed by Mad Science.

During the first few days of the camp, the kids built their robots. Once the robot was constructed, the focus shifted toward coding, as the robots were programmed to complete an obstacle course.

“It’s a 21st-century skill that schools are starting to teach,” Comeau said of coding. “I think this robot, in particular, really allows kids to expand on what they may already know about coding.”

One of the goals of the camp is for students to discover the science of circuits and how robots use sensors to explore things around them.

Instruments brought in to complete the obstacle courses included wire panels, rope and sticks. The robots were taken outside on the final day to see if they could handle the terrain. They handled it quite nicely.

“We had so much fun,” Comeau said. “To see how they interacted in a natural environment and to see that since the robots had two motors, they had the power to navigate the rough terrain was great for the kids.”

Most of the participants were from Mt. Lebanon, but the camp does attract would-be robot constructers from other areas.

This is the second Red Hot Robots camp held in Mt. Lebanon, but the organization has been operating since 2009 and has been involved in other projects there.

“I really like robots and science,” admitted Jovan Luo, 9, of Mt. Lebanon, who is entering fourth grade. “I like building a lot and creating something that works. It’s been fun.”

Saira Singh, 10, of Mt. Lebanon, who is entering fifth grade, echoed those sentiments.

“I think it’s really fun because it helps us learn,” she said. “It’s really nice meeting new people and getting to know them. I’m learning how to put things together because I really wasn’t good at that. I have done many things that involved putting stuff together.”

Comeau sees a number of benefits for those who participate.

“The younger half of the kids get the confidence to open a STEM (Science Technology and Mathematics) kit of any kind, any type of project in which they built something on their own, they get the satisfaction of building it and getting to play with it,” Comeau said. “The older kids learn about coding, they learn about problem solving, how to work together, how the gears fit together and what to do when something isn’t working.”

Another benefit is the camaraderie gained in such a social setting, and while instructors helped kids with their robots, the kids could be seen helping each other as well.

“It’s fun, and usually by Friday, even if we have to work through some challenges, the kids have the feeling of, ‘It’s Friday and I get to leave with this robot that I built all by myself,'” Comeau said.

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