Over 30 teams of young engineers from six Omaha-area elementary schools programmed robots that competed at the Kennedy Robotics Invitational, held at Howard Kennedy Elementary School on March 29. AIM Institute’s Isaac Piper, Director of Innovation, helped design the event for students to explore, wonder and build a passion for STEAM.
While the focus remained on learning and growing, there was a fun, competitive edge for students. For example, students programmed robots for the Code, Navigate & Deliver competition, where robots navigated a course to pick up a package and return it to a warehouse. Other students demonstrated their skills at the Drone-agility Course, where students flew their drones through a timed competition course. There also was 3v3 Robot Soccer—competitors used an iPad and controlled robots to score points in a soccer match.
The event was a collaboration between Howard Kennedy Elementary’s STEAM program, the AIM Institute and MCC’s STEM Program. AIM is a long-time community partner of Kennedy Elementary School. In addition to helping create the competitions, Piper helped students program their robots. AIM representatives judged the teams and provided assistance at the event.