A collaboration between Teen-Turn and the Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) has provided teenage girls across Ireland with the opportunity to build a robotic arm.
Rayza Onog and Daniella Nwaedozie with mentor Milena Kalita building a robotic arm at the Teen-Turn / IMR collaboration in Nano Nagle Place, Cork
Pic Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision
Teen-Turn is a charity that provides teenage girls with the opportunity to gain hands-on STEM experience and the support necessary to acquire qualifications and jobs. The IMR combines with Teen-Turn to deliver robotics instruction and hands-on experience in automation.
The focus of this partnership is to provide teenage girls, especially those from underserved and underrepresented communities, a chance to experience the topics of both Robotics and Automation. As technology continues to revolutionize workplaces in every sector, skills in Robotics and Automaton become even more vital.
Therefore, this project should create opportunities for the girls in manufacturing production work in Ireland. The girls taking part are from rural and urban secondary schools, while some are referred through organisations like the Cork Migrant Centre.
Robot Kits have been posted to locations throughout Ireland, where the girls spend every day working on the construction and programming of the robotic arm. The kits used are provided by Adeept, an open-source hardware manufacturer specialising in products for makers and electronic enthusiasts. Everyone taking part is supervised by in-person Teen-Turn mentors and guided in the learning by online IMR volunteers. This has been an incredible success for both student and teacher alike.
As Maria Isabel Meza Silva, Education & Outreach Programme Lead at IMR, put it “Who said robots are not fun? And no, they are not going to take over the world!”. While Cork participant, Katie, offered, “It’s great to meet new people and make friends with similar interests from different schools. I am even working online with a girl in Limerick and it’s been so much fun.”
The girls will be given the chance to present their results and be rewarded for their arduous work with a field trip to IMR’s Robotics Lab in Mullingar on Friday August 19.
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SOURCE: Materials provided by Teen Turn
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