Center Grove senior Aarav Agrawal poses in front of the different iterations of Robby the Drummer robot that he has designed.
Submitted Photo
A Center Grove High School senior is helping young minds explore robotics through summer and after-school classes.
What started as a local effort and simple desire to get kids interested in robotics has turned into a statewide venture for Aarav Agrawal and his dad, visiting job fairs and teaching students the behind-the-scenes of building and coding robots through their program Kids Explore Robotics. The program offers in-person and virtual classes where students learn how to build and code their own robot that can play the drums. Agrawal does the teaching and his dad, Vinod Agrawal, helps him with logistics and planning, he said.
“What we’re aiming for was really showing the behind-the-scenes making the kids really experience the connection between coding in the specific wire connections and the motors, making them really understand those fundamental aspects of robotics,” Agrawal said. “Beyond that, we really didn’t want another one-and-done kind of build-your-own robot.”
Agrawal was first exposed to robotics in elementary school on his school robotics team, he said. A change in schools put his interest on hold until he took an engineering and computer science course in high school that reignited his interests, he said. From there, he developed an appreciation and passion for engineering and robotics that led him to create Kids Explore Robotics. He hopes kids leave the classes with a newfound passion, career path or new, transferable skills.
Agrawal and his dad said they couldn’t find an existing robotics kit that “truly taught the entire creative process of robotics,” he said. Coding was rarely included in most kits and the inner workings of the motors were usually covered up, he said.
The two wanted a more immersive and thorough experience for kids. So, they designed their own. After a series of prototypes, they settled on Robby the Drummer robot. They designed the robot to have an open concept so kids can see exactly how wires and motors connect and control the robot, he said.
Agrawal teaches students how to build the robot from scratch and code it to play different drum beats, he said.
“What we’re really trying to do with this one is make it simple so that younger kids can really connect with it and also make it a really open concept ..,” Agrawal said. “ We just wanted something where a kid could really have fun with it, could be creative, make their own drum beats, do whatever they like with it.”
The robots’ open concept also allows kids to continue exploring robotics after the class is over, he said. Students are equipped with the tools to program the robot and transfer their skills to build new ones.
“He really wanted to teach kids behind the scenes, more like an engineering concept, more simple, but still engineering concepts,” Vinod Agrawal said. “So that’s why we decided to just design our own and with his ideas, and multiple iterations, this is the guy we ended up with.”
The kids often get excited when they see Robby the Drummer robot play the drums, Vinod Agrawal said, which turns into more engagement, teamwork and interest in robotics. The program also teaches kids critical thinking and problem solving skills.
Agrawal said his teaching is “especially meaningful” because his age allows students to connect and engage more.
“I think it’s really great for them to see that this could be something that they really could do and it’s not such a far-off dream, it’s nothing that will take super extra long to achieve, they can really start working on this kind of stuff right now,” Agrawal said.
His dad agrees and said he wants to continue do everything he can to support his son and his venture. He also thinks the experience is important and valuable for his son’s future engineering career.
“I think what he’s doing, it’s a really great thing. I’m super proud of him,” Vinod Agrawal said.
Throughout the classes, kids will learn about the components needed to build a robot, understand what each component does and why it is needed, how to components work and how to connect them. Agrawal provides an overview of a programming application so that students can program and code their own robot.
Kids get access to a series of video lessons on YouTube and can attend in-person classes for $40 or online via Zoom for $30.
Kids can also attend summer camps starting the week of June 3 online or at various locations in and around Indianapolis and Greenwood. A half day camp costs $199, with an option to keep the robot they built during class for an additional $50. A full-day class costs $299, with an additional $50 to keep the robot. All building materials will be provided for students.
For more information, visit kidsexplorerobotics.com
