There are a lot of great dogs in our community, but not like this one! Last week middle school students in all grades met with Dr. Lori Towle from the non-profit Code and Circuit Program and Middle School Technology Teacher Mr. Jared Bevington. Dr. Towle gave a presentation about computer science and a demonstration of the robot dog, SPOT. They also had the opportunity to operate a remote car, work on their coding skills and fly a drone, in addition to playing with SPOT.
SPOT is a hand-made 70-pound mobile robot created by the company Boston Dynamics. According to their website, the robot can be used to capture data and automate routine tasks. It has sensors and cameras that allow these things to happen safely, accurately, and efficiently.
Students learned about the many environments SPOT can be used in, from construction sites to hospitals. They discuss how it can be coded and adapted for many unique situations and needs. They also had the chance to play with SPOT, controlling its movements, and a few students even entered a pushup contest with SPOT. Dr. Towle also explained to students how coding works and reviewed some of the many different coding languages that exist. They engaged in dialogue surrounding how to wire or code SPOT to utilize his customizable abilities.
“This was a great opportunity for our students to learn about real-life applications of coding,” said Middle School Technology Teacher Mr. Jared Bevington. “Not only did they have a blast, but many students got to explore skills they have already been working on or have an interest in.”
Code and Circuit is a program created to educate students about computer science. They aim to increase student interest and comfortability with coding, engineering, and computer science in general. This program was an excellent opportunity for students to learn about coding interactively while keeping it exciting and educational.
Thank you, Dr. Towle and Mr. Bevington, for making this fantastic opportunity happen!
