I think a lot of kids would agree that robots are cool! I found that out for myself last year when I took my first LEGO® robotics class.
I’ve always enjoyed building with LEGO. But robotics is different. It’s more than putting blocks together. I use the blocks to make a robot and a computer to make it do things.
First, I decide what I want the robot to do, like pick up a toy. Then I write code and type it into a computer. Code is a set of instructions that the computer can understand.
If the code doesn’t work, I change it and test again. I once spent 500 hours programming one robot! I’m always up for a good challenge.
In August last year, I traveled from my home in Illinois. I went to compete at the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) National Championship in California. Everyone there had to code their robots to chop weeds, cut grass, and rescue ladybugs. My robot was the best at these tasks. I won first place!
Because I won, I got invited to the WRO International Final in Germany in November. There I teamed up with a partner. We built a robot that was faster at tasks than my first robot.
We didn’t win, but it was amazing. I loved seeing robots designed by kids from all over the world. It was fun to share our ideas with each other!