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Computing Community Consortium Blog

The goal of the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) is to catalyze the computing research community to debate longer range, more audacious research challenges; to build consensus around research visions; to evolve the most promising visions toward clearly defined initiatives; and to work with the funding organizations to move challenges and visions toward funding initiatives. The purpose of this blog is to provide a more immediate, online mechanism for dissemination of visioning concepts and community discussion/debate about them.

CCC Weekly Computing News: NERVE Center Summer Camp Welcomes Middle School Students to the Field of Robotics

July 19th, 2024 / in CCC, robotics / by Petruce Jean-Charles

In this installment of CCC’s Weekly Computing News, we are sharing an exciting opportunity for middle school students to explore the diverse field of robotics.

Summer camp introduces young students to the broad field of robotics

RoboXploration, a summer camp hosted at the UMass Lowell New England Robotics Validation and Experimentation (NERVE) Center, aims to introduce middle school students to the diverse field of robotics. Funded by a $50,000 grant from Amazon Robotics, the camp provides hands-on experiences such as building robotic components, coding for robotic control, and teleoperation, highlighting the breadth of robotics applications.

Beyond practical skills, the camp includes field trips to industry leaders like MassRobotics and Boston Dynamics, offering students insights into real-world applications and innovations in robotics. Mentoring is provided by college students who guide middle school students through their explorations in robotics.

RoboXploration not only nurtures technical skills but also aims to broaden students’ understanding of robotics’ interdisciplinary nature. The camp seeks to showcase how robotics can cater to various interests, encouraging youth to consider paths in computer science, engineering, and fabrication.

By engaging young learners in hands-on projects and industry visits, RoboXploration sets out to inspire the next generation of innovators in robotics.