Benefits Of Studying Robotics
Robotics is an academic discipline of science and technology related to all kinds of robots. That is a pretty plain definition that is unlikely to arouse anyone's attention, much less the attention of a child. What is likely to grasp the attention of a child though is a robot itself, especially one that is a toy.
Lego, the classic toy company, is the creator of a "programmable robotics construction set" that allows users to create robots that "walk, talk, move and do whatever you want them to." This construction set is named Lego Mind storms. When children play with these Lego construction sets, and many others like them, they are not only enjoying the pastime of playing with construction sets, but they are also learning.
Three big advantages that children gain from learning robotics are that it offers a fun and active way to learn; it gives them a 'leg-up' for the future; and it strengthens their problem solving abilities.
Everyone knows that children are happiest when they are at play. Hands-on activities, such as robotics, allow children to learn as they play. Building something like a robot allows children to actively learn how things work and they are excited to get it right so they can show their accomplishments.
Sean Fears, writing for the Bright Hub Education website, notes that robotics is especially good for hands-on learning because it contains so many subsystems. Those areas include structure, motion, design, programming and manipulation, so a child is sure to find an area that interests them. Find an Electronics Tutor
As the world becomes more and more technologically advanced, an understanding of robotics may help children gain a better understanding of the world surrounding them. Fears writes that studying robotics could make computer programming less daunting and bring "high-technology down to the practical, everyday level," as well as spark interest in technology and engineering in children who might otherwise be impartial to those fields. Studying robotics inherently increases problem solving skills. As Fear says, students need to understand what they are supposed to do and how they can go about doing it, or the robot will not work properly. Once a student has mastered the construction of one robot, they can move on to constructing more difficult sets, which will continue to strengthen his or her problem solving skills.