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First of all, robots are awesome. More importantly they are an incredibly valuable tool for accomplishing our goals. They help make manufacturing more efficient, driving down the costs of important goods. This does however come with a side effect.
Much like the tractor, which transformed our labor market from farm labor to more technical and effective trades, robots stand to also change our labor market. A knowledge of robotics will be crucial for careers in the very near future.
For more information check out Why Robotics for Kids is an Important Class
At Kinvert we believe any hands on activities are important. However this is especially true of building things like robots. With many activities one can enhance dexterity and learn problem solving skills. While building robots there are more technical challenges to overcome and learn from. In addition, by building a robot it helps to demystify them.
I've spent countless hours disassembling robots after a semester ends so new students could later build them and gain this valuable experience.
It is a night and day difference. A controlled robot is cool and all, but ultimately it is a glorified remote control car with some extra motors and servos.
An autonomous robot takes in sensor data and makes decisions based on the program you give it. This is much more challenging and rewarding, and honestly industry doesn't have a ton of need for controlled robots. The future is autonomous and Kinvert has the equipment, experience, and teaching chops to give you the challenge and skills you need to succeed.
Modern literacy isn't just reading and writing, but also having at least a basic understanding of code. I can't stress how important it for success in modern society to have modern literacy.
Even if you don't become a programmer, you need to know that what's going on isn't black magic. Someone out there wrote code to make that device within 3 feet of you work. They might be a super genius, or an average Joe. But I can tell you they used loops, conditional statements, variables, and other things that we can help you understand in your very first semester of Coding.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
For those of you looking for STEAM please not we do include a lot of art for students who want it. For example we have drawing robots, and musical robots. 3D Printing also has a ton of art and creativity involved inherently in the design process.
You can find this answered anywhere on the internet so I'll give one personal story of many.
My wife is a good experienced Engineer. At the time of writing this and launching this new site she has very generous offers from I think 7 groups and has 2 more companies that want to begin the interview process.
Companies are all fighting over good experienced Engineers since there aren't enough. Not only is the work itself highly fulfilling, but it also helps solve real problems and you can get paid a ton of money doing it.
That said, even if your goal isn't to be an Engineer please realize that in our STEM classes you'll probably learn more about critical thinking, problem solving, and teamwork than you did anywhere else. These skills will make you more valuable in any endeavor.
6-18, but honestly we've helped mentor many who are in college.
If you're a bit nervous your kids can't handle our classes, have them brush up on reading, typing, and basic computer skills. The best introductory classes for new/young students are 3D Printing and Coding. Though in some cases you may want to sign them up for Typing before Coding.
I'm the primary instructor (this is Keith writing all of this). My wife Qi also teaches when she has time. We're both Engineers with multiple Engineering Degrees and a ton of experience.