Meeniyan Primary School learn robotic and coding basics

MEENIYAN Primary School (MPS) students are among those in the region to have tried a Korean robotic and coding product named Edminds, introduced by a Leongatha business, with the five enthusiastic youngsters experimenting with the STEM technology recently.

“With Edminds, we aim to provide an early introduction to DIY robotics and coding education to children through an interactive medium,” Reema Banerjee of IT Solutions Gippsland said.

The group of Meeniyan Primary School kids experimented with a UARO Series kit, which is the entry level for Edminds, designed for those aged four to 10 and intended to introduce children to the fundamentals of coding and robotics.

The kit includes frames, nuts and bolts, a battery pack, various sensors, along with motors and wheels to allow dynamic movements.

An assembly manual and workbook feature colourful illustrations and step-by-step instructions for 12 robot design ideas.

Years 3 and 4 MPS teacher, Eloise O’Brien, was interested to see the selected students interacting with the STEM tool, saying the manual was like those for Lego with which children are familiar.

While the children followed the instructions to create a dog, they also tried a freestyle approach.

“The kids were allowed to experiment,” Eloise said, noting that through trial and error they discovered they could make the robot go backwards as well as forwards.

Three boys and two girls participated in the student-led session.

“Learning through play is a high value concept within education, and particularly at Meeniyan Primary School, because it offers so many opportunities for any age group and ability,” Eloise said.

That outlook previously prompted the school to invest in a separate educational resource known as a Nudel Kart, a hotdog stand sized kit that can be used to create many things, such as a submarine or a hospital operating theatre.

While the Nudel Kart is on a large scale and can engage a whole class, it is completely different to the Edminds product because it doesn’t involve robotics or coding.

Edminds UARO Series is ‘unplugged’, meaning one can build and code without a computer.

The series has four levels of DIY robotic kits that introduce new accessories and hand-held coding elements to engage children while adding dexterity.

Sam Embuldeniya of IT Solutions Gippsland said he was inspired to introduce the Edminds product in the final semester of his MBA studies at Monash University.

“I thought this is a great product for the school environment and I did a lot of research in the Australian market and found out there are gaps there we can fill with this product,” he said, adding the focus is on launching for the local community first.

Edminds Aikiro Series furthers robotic and coding understanding for children at an intermediate level, with the Robotkit Series for those at the most advanced level and tailored to children up to 15.