Robots temporarily take over Middleboro Public Library

Feb 22, 2023

MIDDLEBORO — The meeting room in the Middleboro Public Library turned into a robot battleground for a short time on Feb. 22.

As part of the library’s February vacation programming, kids who had off from school got to learn about the mechanics of robots and how to control them in Robots on the Run with Dan Berman of the Rhode Island Computer Museum. 

The program was sponsored by Friends of the Middleboro Library.

Newbies and kids with experience in coding joined the class.

Berman started the class by running through a short history of robots’ practical uses, including how robots have helped humans explore space.

The main event happened after Berman taught the audience how to operate their four-wheeled robot vehicles, called “mBots.” mBot is an educational tool that introduces children to programming and robotics. 

Attendees laid out pre-set instructional code on computers provided by Berman. Then they plugged their robots into the laptops, which they used to control the robots.

The children tested out the robots’ movement, delighting at the way they changed directions when encountering obstacles.

Berman instructed each group to tape a balloon onto their robot, and he also provided an instrument of attack — a plastic straw with a sewing needle on the end — to help the robots pop their opponents’ balloons.

Attendees gathered in their groups, in some cases strategizing the best approach and in other cases, simply trying to control their robot.

Although actually popping the balloons proved a challenge, the smiles on the kids’ faces showed that it did not matter.