From April 28th to 30th, 2025, about 30 bright-eyed students (Class 4 to 6) at Holy Spirit Preparatory School, Tarkwa, got a taste of the future—thanks to a collaboration between CSIR-INSTI and Mikrobot Academy.
As is tradition, we kicked things off with the Creation Story—but not in the way you might expect. We used it as a launchpad to introduce robotics. Just as God created man, man now creates machines. And just like us, robots have senses (sensors), brains (processors), and bodies (actuators). Drawing this parallel helped the students make sense of robotics in a way that was both meaningful and memorable.
- Our senses ↔ A robot’s sensors
- Our brain ↔ A robot’s CPU/processor
- Our actions ↔ A robot’s actuators
It was the perfect intro to robotics, breaking down complex ideas into bite-sized, relatable concepts. (And yes, the kids loved the analogy.)
From this foundation, we dived into two days of hands-on learning. And trust me, it got exciting.
Day 2 and 3: Robots That See, Follow, and Compete
We used ultrasonic sensors to build a robot that could follow a person around—always a crowd-pleaser. Then came the line-following challenge, using light sensors, which ties into this year’s RISE competition. Through these activities, we introduced key ideas like error detection and correction and a whole lot of patience —big concepts, taught through play.
We also made a strong case for teamwork. Each group had three students, and together they tackled the robot builds, programmed responses, and worked toward completing specific challenges. These aren’t just classroom exercises—they’re prep for the team-based competitions the Ghana Robotics Foundation engages in throughout the year.
By the end, most of the kids were confidently explaining what sensors do, troubleshooting their own code, and showing off their builds. Safe to say: they got it.
And honestly? The future? Bright. The kids? Even brighter. 🌟