Join BrightCHAMPS in conversation with Abhishek Sharma, Head of RoboCHAMPS.
Updated April 6, 2023 | 8:11 PM
1. Tell us about RoboCHAMPS and the concept behind it.
Our vision at BrightCHAMPS and RoboCHAMPS is to provide equal opportunities for all children in the world by making them more human, inclusive, accessible and personal. We want our children to be tools to help them live fulfilling lives, whatever they do. We also want to help give our children the power to change the world when they grow up.
We believe that every child in the world should have access to the highest quality education and resources regardless of gender, physical, geographical, socio-political, cultural or economic constraints. .
Traditional education systems and school curricula are often unable to keep up with the rapid advances in technology, providing children with the industry-relevant tools and skill sets they need to seize relevant opportunities in the future. you can’t. This knowledge gap aims to be filled with the help of play-based learning, which also keeps children engaged for longer. Not only does it help you navigate more easily and effectively, it also develops creativity, critical thinking skills, logical reasoning and spatial imagination. Skills conscientious leaders and citizens need to have to come up with innovative and sustainable solutions.
We also want to dispel common misconceptions that subjects such as robotics, AI/ML, cryptocurrencies, and blockchain are inappropriate or too difficult for young children. This becomes all the more important given concerns about cryptocurrencies, news about AI going rogue, and automation destroying jobs. I believe that knowledge of technology is fundamental to protecting the vulnerabilities of technology and determining how it can be used for the greater good of mankind.
2. “Robotics in education is the new normal”.please share your thoughts
Not only is it one of the most effective ways to engage children with all kinds of abilities, it also helps neurodivergent children learn better. Robots can be used to greatly enhance the learning experience for children with autism, blindness and cerebral palsy. In fact, research shows that children with visual impairments and cerebral palsy become more confident in using computers after being interacted with robots.
Moreover, as robotics and AI-related technologies are being deployed in almost every aspect of our lives and in various industries, it is all the more important to instill and develop curiosity and the right scientific disposition in children. has become In a world rapidly evolving with technology, the aim is not to provide children with off-the-shelf solutions, but rather to give them the tools and skill sets to understand and meet these new challenges.
3. How is robotics becoming a disruptor in education and becoming a mainstream subject?
We are increasingly witnessing the many benefits robotics and AI knowledge can bring to children around the world. Add to this the fact that most technological developments today have robotics and AI at their core, making it pretty essential to train our kids in these upcoming technologies. Candidates with robotics qualifications are in high demand. Moreover, with robotics and AI careers emerging as popular choices among today’s youth, it makes sense to include this subject in school curricula.
The government is also enlisting the Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL) in schools nationwide to understand the potential and demand for such life skills, promote robotics, and instill adaptive learning, computational thinking, and design thinking. We are undertaking initiatives such as the establishment of By introducing these subjects early to students as part of their early formal education, they are more likely to develop and nurture a greater sense of interest and understanding.
4. How are RoboCHAMPS helping children learn robotics at an early age?
RoboCHAMPS teaches kids ages 6-16 essential coding and tech skills with live, one-on-one, personalized online programs and a cutting-edge curriculum certified by STEM.org. I am attaching it. In addition to coding, you can also learn about design thinking, Roblox, apps, games, and web development. These are taught by top 1% world tutors with advanced degrees in Computers and Engineering.
In order to ensure that every champ with us has the best possible learning experience, at different stages of the curriculum, In total, your child will get about 8 DIY robot kits and over 300 real-world robot kits in the process of learning with us. get the project.
Our mission has always been to make the next generation of life skills accessible to the 2 billion children around the world, regardless of physical location or socioeconomic status. Our goal is to embody the global ethos of “no child left behind” and the BrightCHAMPS Foundation is another step in that direction. This is the first foundation of its kind with a mission to secure the future by teaching Industry 4.0 skills to 1 million low-income children by 2025.
5. Are there educational methods developed by RoboCHAMPS to impart knowledge about robotics and AI to children?
RoboCHAMPS uses a unique teaching methodology – PITLES – Play, Incite, Tweak, Learn, Explore, Solve – devised by child psychology experts to ensure maximum learning for children of all disciplines. make it possible. Stay motivated, stay engaged and deliver results.
While most educational institutions around the world offer offline classes in batches of large groups of students, we, on the contrary, offer personalized and curated classes according to a child’s innate abilities and learning requirements. Our AI-assisted, hands-on learning programs greatly enhance your learning experience and deliver high results. We rely on play-based learning applied to hands-on, real-world projects, where students learn by doing and experimenting rather than instruction-based teaching.
The hands-on project creation industry has historically been a highly fragmented industry. Some kits are exorbitant and easy to assemble, while others are affordable and open-source kits that are difficult to assemble and use. These are also brand specific and lack versatility. At RoboCHAMPS, we not only introduce students to affordable, versatile and easy-to-use kits as part of their curriculum, but we also provide a structured way to work behind these kits under the supervision of a trained instructor. Help students understand certain technologies and core concepts.
In our classes, we have been able to increase engagement rates by up to 70% by introducing interactive teaching methods. Retention and recall were also increased by up to 65%.
Categorized into four milestones or courses, the curriculum covers all the latest technology kids need to excel in life.
The Spirit course introduces kids to the world of technology with sessions on circuit construction, electromagnetics, hydraulic science, and hologram technology.
Opportunity courses explore the latest real-world technology concepts and their applications. They learn and create technologies such as electronic sensors, social robots, AI and ML.
Our Curiosity courses allow students to apply previously learned concepts to applications and develop robotics projects that not only enhance technical and analytical thinking, but also inspire creativity.
And finally, in the Perseverance course, students will apply the skill sets gained in previous courses to develop real-world problem-solving skills and develop robotic arms, robots, humanoids, bio-inspired robots, and all Terrain robots, etc. The idea of the course is to enable children to innovate the knowledge they have learned in the real world.
6. Is it important to learn to code before starting robotics?
Coding is a key component of robotics learning because robotics combines the use of mechanical engineering, electronics, and coding to program robotics to perform specific functions. That’s why RoboCHAMPS includes these three areas in every course, so even kids with no prior training can get the most out of the program.
7. What are the challenges to overcome in teaching robotics to young children?
One of the main challenges faced in teaching robotics to young children is creating an engaging and age-appropriate curriculum. Complex topics should be simplified and often presented in a gamified way to ensure comprehension and retention. This is why all content is vetted by the experts of the Global Curriculum Advisory Board to ensure it meets all global standards and practices.
I think our biggest differentiator here is our strong focus on learning outcomes. To continuously check understanding and retention through fun quizzes, puzzles, projects, and assessments, we have created many nodes not only in class but also within the app and student dashboards.
8. Case studies to share
Name: Sonali Sharma
Age: 9
State: Mumbai
As a hands-on project for a robotics class using BrightCHAMPS, I built a global weather station. Here, the robot is like Alexa, using voice detection to announce the weather forecast (cold, rainy, hot, etc.). I use Alexa all the time to play music at home, and I’m glad I made my own mini Alexa. When I grow up, I want to create more complex machines that can help millions of people.
Real name: Raghav Gupta
Age: 13
State: Delhi
My family recently visited a restaurant where robots served food. I came back and told my robotics teacher about it, and he showed me how I could make one. Inspired by that, he built his own fully robotic mini-his restaurant. Building this project was a lot of fun and I learned a lot about robotics, coding and circuits. The restaurants and cafes of the future look like this, and I hope to one day open my own restaurant or cafe.
Name: Akriti Patel
Age: 11
State: Ahmedabad
I built an autonomous obstacle avoidance robot as part of a robotics class project using BrightCHAMPS. It detects obstacles with ultrasonic sensors, finds a way and moves forward. In my classes, I was taught how to use technology to solve many everyday problems. Someday, I would like to build a self-driving car that senses obstacles and paves its own way, like Tesla does.
