The bot is under study in schools

If you ask a child about a robot, you expect him to talk about Enthiran or BB 8 of Star Wars . But the reality is different. With a greater number of school students taking interest in the subject, they have been coming to grips with robotics as a nuanced subject with widespread practical applications. 

“There is rising curiosity among kids. Robotics is everywhere around us. The minute you enter a mall, the glass door opens by itself. That’s robotics; it’s not just a metallic figure that speaks human language,” explains Rajkumar M, Director of the Stem Centre that conducts robotics classes both at its own premises and in schools — 45-minute classes for 30 weeks. Lema Labs (Incubated at IIT Madras Incubation Cell) has also been organising Kaizen Robotics Program for school students. 

Sneha Priya of SP Robotic Works Pvt. Ltd, which organises weekend classes for school kids, says, “In this age of technology, parents too want their children to grow with the changing times. They have the Internet at their disposal and they know about the world around them. They often play games that have high-end gadgets and cars — and they want to create them.” Often students come with strange demands. 

“Initially, we had little kids who wanted to build a robot that moved on sand and water or a drone that could traverse the ground too. But we start with the basics and eventually move to a higher level. This subject is not just about engineering as students have to understand the math, science and reasoning behind it. Now kids are more focussed on the basics and are preparing themselves for international competitions. 

For instance, five of our students are going to participate in the Singapore Robotic Games 2016,” says Sneha. Many schools in the city have been introducing the subject at an early stage — as early as Class 3 —  to foster reasoning skills. “We give Class 3 and 4 children fun exercises, like building blocks while students from Classes 6 to 8 learn a little about electronics, assembling, motors and wheels,” says Sneha. 

Interestingly, many girls are showing interest in the course. “We have a 50/50 ratio of boys and girls,” says Rajkumar. “The enrolment of girls has increased over the years; they are good at logical reasoning and programming,” says Sneha.