Robotics Revolution 2015 Welcomes 1500+

The Miller boys stopped and gasped in delight as they entered Robotics Revolution 2015, an event hosted by the Muse at the Jacob’s Building on Saturday. A robot rolled right up to them mesmerizing Seth, age 9, Benjamin, age 5, and little Luke, age 1. Their parents, Lara and Adam Miller, said they read about the special event online. Knowing that the kids loved robots, their family was excited to see all the exhibits.

Over 1,500 people from all over the East Tennessee region enjoyed demonstrations of innovative technology by ORNL, Denso and Remotec. State-of-the-art corporations always benefit from a well-educated workforce and by exposing parents and children to hands-on activities it’s easy to learn about technological advancements. 

“We are giving families unprecedented access to exclusive technology that is worth several hundreds of dollars,” said Muse Executive Director Ellie Kittrell. “The hope is to inspire the whole family with role models in science, technology, engineering, arts and math, eliminating the fear factor and highlighting the fun.”

 Dreams do come true, as NASA Astronaut Dr. Jessica Meir explained to the audience during the live Skype chat. “I wanted to be an astronaut since I was 5 years old, so this is really a life-long dream for me,” she said. She encouraged attendees to pursue their interests and learn all they could. After explaining her astronaut training and what if feels like to be weightless, she entertained questions from a few lucky boys and girls. 

Kids have such a quick learning curve. Technology that takes years of higher education and millions in corporate investment instantly became child’s play.

 Jon Greenwell-Humberd, age 9, loves to play Minecraft and aspires to be an aeronautical engineer when he grows up. He might even like to fly planes one day, he said. He had the opportunity to sit side-by-side with a representative of Remotec and learn to use the control pad to move a robotic arm to pick up a wooden block off the floor and drop it into a big orange bucket. It’s not as easy as it sounds. “Did you see me?” Greenwell-Humberd asked his family of onlookers. “It was pretty hard to maneuver, but I did it!”

 Each of the 10 participating robotics teams has also experienced that sensation of a healthy sense of personal pride in accomplishment. Youth ages 7 through 18 actually gave up some of the last few precious hours of summer to exhibit their competition robots and speak to other kids about a variety of educational opportunities their peers can take advantage of in our area.

 Beyond A Brick and Bricks 4 Kidz each had Lego building areas for future engineers, some of the construction was even put to test with an earthquake machine contest – won by a 7-year-old! 

“It’s better to start at a young age, so you have time to learn more,” said 12-year-old Heather LaForce. Her team, NX3SIXT, took first place in the youth division for Sumo Bot Challenge and so far, their four-year-old robot is undefeated.

 Photos of this event are posted on Facebook under “The Muse of Knoxville.” Information about corporate sponsorship for Robotics Revolution 2016, which is essential for continuation of this forward-thinking event, is available through the Muse.

Contributor-Molly Gilbert, Molly Gilbert Marketing