Robotics

From July 7-11, about 500 middle- and high-school students will pour on to the SIUE campus from across the U.S. and around the world—coming from the Middle East, Poland, Japan and Mexico, to name a few. Preconference classes will take place July 6.

SIUE Regional Botball Competition Slideshow (click to view)

Each year the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) Institute for Practical Robotics, a non-profit organization based in Norman, Okla., supplies the support materials for regional, national and international robotics competitions, using educational robotics programs to engage students in science, technology, engineering, math and project management.

Check out the Global Conference site for more information about the upcoming event, including details about how to register, what programs are being offered, highlights, activities, planning and arrangements. The conference includes the annual International Botball Tournament.

Robotics at SIUE

The SIUE School of Engineering faculty and students organize several robotics mini camps and visit middle schools each year to talk about the importance of robots in our lives. The workshops, along with the regional botball competition held on campus each year, intrigue hundreds of young people interested in pursuing careers in engineering.

Computer Science Research

Jerry Weinberg, professor of computer science at SIUE and chair of that department, has been instrumental in spearheading robotics programs, competitions and workshops on campus for many years. One of the authors of "The Impact of Robot Projects on Girls’ Attitudes Toward Science and Engineering," Weinberg has worked with Associate Provost Susan L. Thomas and Associate Professor of Psychology Jonathan C. Pettibone, both from SIUE; Mary L. Stephen from Saint Louis University's Reinert Center for Teaching Excellence, and Cathryne Stein from the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) Institute for Practical Robotics to highlight girls' involvement with robotics.