Check out these battling robots

• Students customize their own RC robot
• Learn simple machine skills and familiarity with technology
• A number of obstacles are used to test the robots

On the final day of the Art and Robots class hosted at the Rotary Centre for the Arts, students gathered to test, draw, and battle against one another using their custom built machines.

The class introduced students, aged 8-12, to the world of robotics, and provided the tools and knowledge required to get started.

Instructor Brock Gratz told Kelowna10, the class teaches a mixture of learned simple machine skills and familiarity with technology, all while encouraging problem solving and self discovery.

“We give them the tools, and I try to give them some guidance and some leadership on what to do and what the challenges are,” Gratz said.

After a four week program, the students build and then tested their robots in four main areas: artistic endeavor, racing, hill climbing, and battling.

“They’ve been working very hard to develop some robots using some fairly conventional, entry level sort of conversions from store bought remote control cars, into some custom things they’ve been building,”

He said the program helps kids achieve their own success with their own ideas.

“It’s really rewarding for them and for me to see them accomplish things that way,” Gratz said.

According to Gratz, what’s really important is that the class offers an accessible mixture of technology and creative outlets for students who are interested in getting into technology and robots.

“That can be very cost prohibitive, and based on the fact that we are able to subsidize the cost of the materials… means that I'm able to get some materials for them that they can really play around with and experiment with,” he said.

Gratz enjoyed teaching the class because he loved being in similar programs as a kid.

“Coming back to it as an adult and being able to teach them… makes it more fun for me because I get to be a participant in it as much as they are.”