Researchers at Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering are behind the invention of robot called “Root”. Research Associate at the institute said “Right now, coding is taught at a computer keyboard. It’s an abstract process that doesn’t have a relationship to the real world. What Root does is bring coding to life in an extremely fun and approachable way. Kids with no experience in coding can be programming robots in a matter of minutes.” Root is a little chunky robot, with scanners at its bottom, touch interface on its top. Root possesses a marker at the center which can draw on a whiteboard and even erase it. So, in order to teach the kids “How to code”, you just need a whiteboard, iPad including a language, that’s all. Root can demonstrate that what coding can do in actual time, it could also develop an interest in children in this field.
“We’re in the digital world, but schools don’t teach coding. America needs computer programmers to be competitive — 71 percent of new jobs in STEM are going to be centered around coding. If we can solve this problem, this will be a big step forward for our country” robotics researcher Zivthan Dubrovsky said. The team behind this invention is looking for partners that can introduce Root to classrooms and gradually to the world. Root is a turtle shaped robot, which crawls on around the floors by following programs, it can draw patterns and ignore barriers. It will be programmed through tablet interface called Square. It will possess light and colour sensors, touch surface and bumpers. If successful, Root could motivate the young children to enter the coding world.
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