Last summer, 4-H campers competed to see who could build the best robot. Nearly 20 young engineers participated in the camp held in Bates County and organized by University of Missouri Extension.
“We hope that we’re building on that basic foundation so that they will become the engineers and the scientists of the future,” said Alan Mundey, a 4-H Youth Specialist with University Extension.
The camp is part of a national 4-H program called Gear Tech 21. The goal is to show how robotics and mapping technologies improve agriculture. Today’s tractors are equipped with robotic sensors and geospatial data that help farmers produce crops more efficiently.
MU specialists believe this is one way to get kids excited about these new technologies.
“You can open up a book and you can read about science, but until you get your hands on it and maybe see how it’s more applicable to your daily life — even as a kid — that’s what’s going to create the interest,” Mundey said.
Reviewed 2013-01-24