LEGO Robots Come Alive

February 15, 2022

LEGO® bricks are an all-time classic toy for both children and adults. Rated the number one toy by TIME magazine and many parents alike, the plastic toys are known for inspiring creativity and developing problem-solving skills in children. But did you know that LEGO bricks can be used to make robots?

In Summer 2020, Georgia Southern University’s Division of Continuing Education teamed up with Dakota Paradice to host a LEGO Robotics camp in Statesboro, Georgia. Elementary and Middle school children enjoyed learning the principles of robotics and programming, as well as putting these principles to work with the hands-on application of building and programming their own LEGO robot. Through development, field testing, and even competing in battles with the durable plastic computers, students learned practical applications of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) in a fun and interactive way. Boys and girls enjoyed this two day retreat from the hot summer sun to grow their minds and play with LEGO toys.

“I think the BIGGEST TAKEAWAY is a sense of PRIDE and a FOUNDATION of where they want to go forward with ROBOTICS.”

“We talk about how important it is for them as people to learn to use their senses, to get information, and what that information does to tell them to do something,” Paradice LEGO Robotics said about the course. He went on Instructor Dakota Paradice to draw a comparison between the plastic “skeleton” and computer “brain” of a robot and how it is similar to a human and how we interact with the world.

“The kids learn to talk to the robots through the programming language; they learn how to build the skeleton of it; and they learn how to manipulate different buttons to make different things happen.”

Next summer, Paradice hopes the new LEGO robots will encourage children to develop a greater interest in STEAM, saying, “I think the biggest takeaway is a sense of pride, and a foundation of where they want to go forward with robotics.”