After the huge success of last year’s first Battle of the Bots event , Avon Maitland Schools are returning to the D&D arena for another shot at the title.
The competition involves groups of students building and programming a lego robot to undergo various challenges. The robots – which were all built by the teams prior to the event- are autonomous and operate via sensor and CPU. Due to the nature of each specific challenge, the physical design of the robot must be taken into careful consideration.
This year D&D sent the teams a series of mini test trials, each one providing hints at what the final the final challenge might be. “They will be quite difficult”, says Jason Carter of D&D automation. “It would be highly unlikely for a team to achieve a perfect score; but the goal for the event is to promote critical thinking and collaboration.”
D&D Automation staff provide the teams with an array of support leading up to the competition. They host a blog on their websites that allows teams to submit questions and to interact with students from other schools. They have also made staff available for hands on assistance at their school should any problems arise.
D&D Automation focuses a lot on education in youth and technology. This is a booming and evolving industry that can lead to gainful employment and great economic development in the future. This annual event hopes to inspire students about the wonderful world of robotics and all it has to offer.
30 schools are set to participate in Battle of the Bots which will be held at D&D automation in Stratford on November 22nd and 23rd.