This 4-week robotics course introduces local middle school students (6th-8th grade) to Python, OpenCV, and the RACECAR platform. This month-long, intensive course is held during the month of July through the BeaverWorks Summer Institute (BWSI). The curriculum culminates in a final “Mini Grand Prix” in which students program a robot to autonomously navigate through an obstacle course.

The first BWSI pilot middle school program was offered in 2019, featuring the newly developed RACECAR Model Nano, which was designed specifically for the course. The RACECAR-MN features cutting-edge technology, including the NVIDIA Jetson Nano, a rangefinding LiDAR, and a stereoscoping depth camera.

This year, 24 students, in teams of 2, competed in the final middle school grand prix. All teams completed the track. The winning team successfully navigated the entire track autonomously.

The curriculum is also offered as online self-guided course for interested, self-motivated students: https://mit-bwsi-racecar-ms.github.io/website/

You can find more information on the Beaver Works Summer Institute website.