Author(s): Ribeiro, A. Fernando ; Lopes, Gil ; Pereira, Nino ; Cruz, José
Date: 2022
Persistent ID: https://hdl.handle.net/1822/95807
Origin: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Subject(s): Education robotics; Mobile robotics; RoboParty; Autonomous robotics
Robotic products and services are quickly getting into people’s homes and it is important to prepare the youngsters to new challenges. One way to motivate them is through competitive events [1]. Back in 2006 the Laboratory of Automation and Robotics (LAR) [2] from University of Minho [3], Guimarães, Portugal, created a new event named RoboParty® [4]. The main objective is to teach youngsters how to build and program a robot from scratch in a collaborative, fun and friendly environment. The first edition was held in 2007. Every year the event gathers up to 500 people from different countries. With 13 editions held at University of Minho, 3 in Lisbon, and 4 abroad (Brazil, Germany, Canada, Denmark), this event is internationally recognised for its new approach towards learning robotics. RoboParty® [5][6][7][8] is an event with educational purposes only focusing on STEM subjects. Teams of 4 people, work for 3 days assembling the electronic components and programming an autonomous mobile robot, guided by qualified professionals, within a fun and relaxed environment. In the end each team keeps their robot so that they continue learning at home or school.
