Robots in the city
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Monday, November 09, 2009
Does your child enjoy tinkering with electronics? Robots just
might be the next big hobby in your home.
For major robot inspiration, head to the FIRST Robotics
Competition Midwest Regional, hosted at the University of Illinois
Chicago, March 18-20. This intense competition showcases robots
developed and operated by high school teams from all over the
world. It's a family friendly, free event complete with special
lighting, music, a large video wall and energetic announcers.
Is your child ready to advance from LEGOs to more advanced
engineering feats? Robot City Workshop, located in the Lakeview
neighborhood just north of Belmont on Sheffield, is the newest
go-to place for technological whiz kids. Part-workshop, part
specialty retail destination, Robot City Workshop is a gear-head
wonderland.
Enter inside and you'll find a wide array of robots, from R2D2 to
Robosapian to Roomba-the widest selection of robots anywhere in the
Midwest. Magazines, DIY kits and manuals, books, DVDs, toys and
novelties are also available.
The center also offers an enticing array of workshops for children
and adults of all ages. Beginning workshops focus on building
basics: your child will work to create his or her very own simple
robot while learning more about the functions of the different
components of the robot (sensors, gears, electrical circuits and
components). Advanced workshops focus on higher level engineering
feats such as soldering and programming. Most beginning workshops
last two hours and cost $25 per hour. Advanced workshops are
$50.
For more robot fun in Chicago, visit the Toymaker 3000: An
Adventure in Automation exhibit at the Museum of Science and
Industry. Twelve robots work on an assembly line that manufactures
300 toy tops per hour. Max and Lisa, assembly worker robots, are on
hand to race against children.
Round out your robot fun by watching the top three robot-centered
movies for kids: Lost in Space, the 1960s television series
featuring a clunky robot as a main character will delight kids,
while the original Star Wars trilogy wouldn't be the same without
its lovable robot heroes R2D2 and C3PO. Not to be missed is 2008's
Wall-E.
Amy Bizzarri is a mom of two living in Logan Square. She also blogs at tiramisumom.com.
See more of Amy's stories here.
