Robot in the Park - Season Finale

Ahoy Adventurebots! Join in a real-world adventure game where you will embark on quests, interact with robot creatures, and venture to different waypoints. These will challenge you to observe details in nature, be hands-on with robots, and become a stronger environmental steward.

Who it’s for

Robot in the Park is:

• Open to all ages, young and old
• Great for families with curious kids
• Environmentalists who want to learn more about technology
• Professionals who enjoy seeing art in engineering
• Anyone who loves nature or tech

It is hands-on, and a low pressure ‘follow your curiosity’ style. The activity may take 30 - 90 mins to fully enjoy / complete depending on the interest of the participant. Be sure to bring your boundless imagination and open-mindedness to make it a big win!

Keep in mind, this is an original grassroots volunteer led initiative, things might not be perfect, that’s what makes it fun and ever evolving 😊

Robot in the Park is based on our previous Field Tests, where we brought Bowie the robot onto beaches and parks to pick up garbage! The common thread of relating robots to nature remains in the new Robot in the Park activities.

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Photo: Field Test in 2018 with Bowie the Robot on Westboro Beach in Ottawa, ON

The adventure commences with a set of guiding cards, complete with intricate designs plotted on them. At each waypoint, you get to hold a robot creature in your hands as you complete the quest! Who knows what magic might unfold?

While on the journey, spot the robot creatures in the surrounding nature! They might be hiding in the plants, and a slight flutter of their wings, or a tiny quiet chirp, gives them away. Interact with them and see what happens next!

And here’s something else that is EPIC! In future events, you may even see Robot Butterflies on display that have been made by attendees of our workshops! How cool is that? Check out the workshop happening at the Boys and Girls Club STEM & Robotics Centre. Learn more about the Robot Butterfly kit here, and check out the store here to make your own.

The activity will evolve and change over the summer, we recommend visiting at least two of our events! For example, In future iterations of the activity, participants who register will get to bring a guide robot along with them 😁

🎓 Learning objectives:

By the end of this activity participants should be able to…

1. Describe a detail from nature that you observed
2. Describe how a robot responds to sensor input
3. Identify one way you can be an environmental steward (or help someone else be one!)

And overall, just have FUN outside in nature with creative robots!

When participants complete the surveys both before and after the activity, we’ll give you a goodie bag that includes a holographic sticker, a postcard of Robot Butterfly in nature, and some wildflower seeds to plant!

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The location is nearby the sandboxes in Lake Ontario Park. Please see below for the instructions on how to get there!

1. Follow your preferred route to Lake Ontario Park

2. Follow the path to the pavilion

3. Continue forwards to the stairs

4. Go down the stairs

5. Turn towards the sandbox area

6. The main robot station will be near the north sandbox. A volunteer will arrive to welcome you!

About the instructor:

Erin RobotZwrrl will be leading the activity! She is the quiet inventor of Robot Butterfly - all the way from the electronics, to the 3D design, to the firmware. Participants can ask technical questions and learn directly from the inventor! Erin is a self-taught robot maker artist whose hands-on experience includes being an analogue astronaut at the Mars Desert Research Station, attending International Space University, and working on a wide range of creative technology projects that merge nature and robotics. Check out her YouTube channel documenting her robot builds over the years.

Photos will be happening:

As a heads up, if you don’t mind, we plan to take some photos and videos during the workshop. It really helps to show the experience with our online community! Please do let us know if you do not wish to be in these. Here’s an example.

By signing up for our event, you consent to being photographed and included in event-related media. If you prefer not to be photographed, please let us know and we’ll gladly accommodate.

Rules

Here are the rules that participants have to follow:

• Sign in required
• No dogs
• No smoking / vaping
• Be kind
• Under 14 have to be accompanied by an adult

If there’s any other questions feel free to contact

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Also check out other Workshops in Kingston, Arts events in Kingston, Trips & Adventurous Activities in Kingston.