Conor Campbell (left) watches in anticipation as he tests his robot at the Lake Michigan College Lego Robotics Camp in Niles. Isabella Wah, Michael Craw and Shawn Ellis (from left) wait their turn to test their robots. (Daily Star Photo/AARON MUELLER)

By AARON MUELLER
Niles Daily Star

Dorre Campbell likes to be in control.

So the Lego Robot Camp at Lake Michigan College is right up her alley. The five-day camp being held at the Bertrand Crossing Campus in Niles this week teaches 9- to 14-year-olds how to program and design Lego robots.

“I like how you can program the robot to do things and basically you are in control of something,” said Campbell, a 10-year-old homeschooler. “In the real world, you really can’t control that much.”

Meg Edwards, the instructor of the workshop that is part of the Lake Michigan College summer community education program, said the students use computers to write programs that make the robots complete a variety of challenges.

The robots have a built-in microcomputer or “brain,” which can download the programs from the personal computers through a USB cord.

The students program the robots to complete different missions on a large board. Some of the tasks include knocking over barrels and moving them to a target, picking up hoops and moving them across the board and activating a trigger that releases a Lego truck from a ramp.

“The table is really tricky,” Shawn Ellis said. “But with some creativity it can be pretty easy actually.”

Ellis, 10, named his robot Rob200 and has programmed him to complete two missions already on day three of the camp.

“I’m a pretty smart kid, who is always wanting to learn more stuff,” Ellis said, explaining why he decided to come to the camp.

Dorre’s brother, Conor, also 10, smiled and cheered as his robot began moving some barrels and he fell to his knees in frustration when the robot ran into the wall.

“It takes a while (to accomplish the missions), but in the end it’s pretty pleasing,” he said. “I’ve learned how to program it to do lots of fancy turns and go backwards, forwards, left and right.”

The students also learn how to use a variety of sensors, including light, touch, rotation, ultrasonic and sound-activated sensors with their robots.

Edwards said the students not only learn robotics but also patience, teamwork and problem solving skills.

“They have learned to go back and readjust and stick with something until they can finish it,” she said. “It really is trial and error.”

There are three more sessions of the Lego Robot Camp next week, July 26-30 and Aug. 2-6. The camp goes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day and costs $150 per camper. To register, call the Bertrand Crossing Campus at (269) 695-2991.