Robotics Sports Day

Led by our School of Computer Science and Informatics, this project supported the development of resources and delivery of a pilot robotics sports day for 60 pupils from local Cardiff schools using the Paris Olympics and Paralympics 2024 as the focal point.

Pupils took part in a series of robotic activities to learn coding, team building and communication skills, as well as creativity. The project incorporated key areas of learning in the Welsh curriculum, so students not only enhanced their digital skills, but also literacy, numeracy, expressive arts and health and wellbeing – each beneficial for their future career aspirations.

The project worked collaboratively with Cardiff Council’s Cardiff Commitment team to target schools in under-privileged areas in Cardiff. The project welcomed pupils aged 9-12 to Abacws, our world-leading facility bringing together the School of Computer Science and Informatics and the School of Mathematics.

Activities were delivered and supported by the School of Computer Sciences and Informatics dedicated outreach team as well as a team of student STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Ambassadors developing their employability skills post-graduation.

The legacy of this project is a self-sustaining robotic resources, a set of bilingual workshop activities and teacher resources.

Beyond the scope of the funding, the School of Computer Sciences and Informatics would like to extend and develop the challenges for an older age groups, right up to 6th formers. This could include the incorporation of motion tracking and sensors to look at how humans move and challenge the participants to programme a robot to do the same.

The activities could also help to target specific groups who are underrepresented in computing, such as girls and or members of the black, Asian and minority ethnic population, to inspire them and to demonstrate that computing is a sector that can be for them.