Robohub.org
 

CSAIL shows off demos to 150 high-schoolers for “Hour of Code”


by
15 December 2015



share this:
Students watch CSAIL researchers show off a "garden" made of dozens of distinct origami robots that move and change color to demonstrate complex programming algorithms. Photo: Jason Dorfman/CSAIL

Students watch CSAIL researchers show off a “garden” made of dozens of distinct origami robots that move and change color to demonstrate complex programming algorithms. Photo: Jason Dorfman/CSAIL

By Adam Conner-Simmons | CSAIL

Last Friday, MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) hosted 150 local high school students for its second annual “Hour of Code” event, tied to the international initiative focused on getting kids interested in programming.

Researchers showed off robots, 3-D-printing technology, and other projects to math and computer science students from schools throughout the greater Boston area, including Cambridge, Charlestown, Roxbury, and Somerville.

The event also included a surprise video message from John Green, author of the bestselling young-adult novels-turned-movies “The Fault In Our Stars” and “Papertowns.” Green commended the students on participating the event and elaborated on why coding is important.

“I cannot emphasize enough how much I believe in learning computer science, not least because I am basically a first-grader when it comes to computer literacy,” Green said. “These days STEM education is vital to being able to understand the world around us and interact with it effectively.”

Among the projects on display were “MultiFab,” a 3-D-printer that can print using a record 10 different materials at once; Atlas, a 6-foot-tall, 400-pound humanoid robot that can open doors, climb stairs and drive a car; and a wireless device that can detect, track and identify individuals from the other side of a wall.

CSAIL Director Daniela Rus kicked off the event by inviting three graduate students to speak about how they got involved in programming and why coding is fun, exciting, and important.

“I like to think being able to code is sort of like having a superpower,” Rus said. “Researchers here can see through walls with wireless, create objects that nobody would have ever thought possible, and develop robots that shape-shift like Transformers and fly through trees at 30 miles per hour.”

To date approximately 150 million students have done an hour of programming as part of the Hour of Code, which was launched in 2013 by the organization code.org and takes place during Computer Science Education Week. Companies such as Apple and Microsoft have also jumped onboard with special programs, while last year U.S. President Barack Obama became the first sitting president to write a line of code.



tags: , , ,


MIT News





Related posts :



Robot Talk Episode 119 – Robotics for small manufacturers, with Will Kinghorn

  02 May 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Will Kinghorn from Made Smarter about how to increase adoption of new tech by small manufacturers.

Multi-agent path finding in continuous environments

  01 May 2025
How can a group of agents minimise their journey length whilst avoiding collisions?

Interview with Yuki Mitsufuji: Improving AI image generation

  29 Apr 2025
Find out about two pieces of research tackling different aspects of image generation.

Robot Talk Episode 118 – Soft robotics and electronic skin, with Miranda Lowther

  25 Apr 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Miranda Lowther from the University of Bristol about soft, sensitive electronic skin for prosthetic limbs.

Interview with Amina Mević: Machine learning applied to semiconductor manufacturing

  17 Apr 2025
Find out how Amina is using machine learning to develop an explainable multi-output virtual metrology system.

Robot Talk Episode 117 – Robots in orbit, with Jeremy Hadall

  11 Apr 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Jeremy Hadall from the Satellite Applications Catapult about robotic systems for in-orbit servicing, assembly, and manufacturing.

Robot Talk Episode 116 – Evolved behaviour for robot teams, with Tanja Kaiser

  04 Apr 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Tanja Katharina Kaiser from the University of Technology Nuremberg about how applying evolutionary principles can help robot teams make better decisions.

AI can be a powerful tool for scientists. But it can also fuel research misconduct

  31 Mar 2025
While AI is allowing scientists to make technological breakthroughs, there’s also a darker side to the use of AI in science: scientific misconduct is on the rise.



 

Robohub is supported by:




Would you like to learn how to tell impactful stories about your robot or AI system?


scicomm
training the next generation of science communicators in robotics & AI


©2025.05 - Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence


 












©2025.05 - Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence