IIn this live, interactive session, students take on the ultimate navigation challenge: guiding a robot safely through a complex, hazard-filled obstacle course. Students will learn that robots can't guess intentions—they rely entirely on specific, ordered commands. By breaking down a chaotic maze into clear paths, students will build sequential programs and test them in real time, discovering how a single wrong turn or forgotten command can completely derail a mission.
Working in groups, students will actively write, test, and adapt their code during the session. Through trial, error, and shared problem-solving, learners discover how efficient code saves time and why clear pathways are built on precise logic, making this a thrilling, practical introduction to robotics and automation.
Students take on the role of "Mission Control," stepping into a command center where every action requires a precise command. Their challenge is to program a robot through a premade obstacle course, translating physical spaces and barriers into a logical, step-by-step algorithm that dictates every forward march, sharp turn, and hazard avoided.
As the challenge unfolds, students witness the "execution" of their code in real-time. They will see firsthand how a missed step or an uncalculated distance can send their robot crashing into a wall or spinning out of bounds. By observing these robotic mishaps, learners must think like true automation engineers: detecting the exact point of failure, rewriting their scripts, and "patching" their code to steer their robot to victory.
With a decade of experience spanning nearly every corner of the educational landscape, Julia Trigo has done it all—from teaching high school engineering and elementary STEM to developing computer science curricula.Â
This unique perspective is her superpower as Program Manager for the AMER region at Creative Hut where she partners with school districts to bring exciting, hands-on STEAM learning to kids in and out of school settings. Working with partners across the country, she is enthusiastic about providing every student with the chance to build, code, and spark their curiosity.
By taking part in this challenge, students will:
> Break down a complex physical pathway into a logical sequence of directional instructions.
> Understand how syntax and command order directly affect a robot's physical movement.
> Practice sequencing, algorithmic thinking, and debugging through real-time trial and error.
> Identify and correct logical errors by refining, troubleshooting, and optimizing code paths.
