RoboParty: 20 Editions Building Robots and Motivating Youngsters for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Subjects [Competitions]

• Published in: IEEE robotics & automation magazine Vol. 29; no. 1; pp. 102 - 107
• Main Authors: Ribeiro, A. Fernando, Lopes, Gil, Pereira, Nino, Cruz, Jose
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.03.2022; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Autonomous robotics; Education robotics; Educação de qualidade; Eletrónica e Informática; Engenharia e Tecnologia; Engenharia Eletrotécnica; Mobile robotics; RoboParty; Robotics; Robots
• DOI: 10.1109/MRA.2022.3143188
• ISSN: 1070-9932

Robotic products and services are quickly getting into people's homes, and it is important to prepare the youngsters for new challenges. One way to motivate them is through competitive events <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref1">[1] . Back in 2006, the Laboratory of Automation and Robotics <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref2">[2] at the University of Minho <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref3">[3] , Guimarães, Portugal, created a new event called RoboParty <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref4">[4] . The main objective is to teach youngsters how to build and program a robot from scratch in a collaborative, fun, and friendly environment. The first edition was held in 2007. Every year the event attracts up to 500 people from different countries. With 13 editions held at the University of Minho, three in Lisbon, and four abroad (in Brazil, Germany, Canada, and Denmark), this event is internationally recognized for its new approach toward learning robotics.