Giving Compass' Take:

• Getting Smart explains why artificial intelligence (AI) should be integrated in school robotics competitions to help students learn about the future of automation.

• What other utilities does AI have in education? How does it advance STEM skills in students?

· Read more about why it might be a good idea for high schools to offer AI courses. 

Most industrial robots are preprogrammed or remotely controlled. That’s starting to change with the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI). Some robots operate autonomously and learn to improve task efficiency.

The same is true about elementary and secondary school robotics competitions—few involve real AI. Usually, the robots are teleoperated to perform a task like picking up objects and putting them in a bucket. The rules change each year but the scoring is the same—the most stuff in the bucket wins.

The World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth (WAICY) is different. The Cozmo robots, by Anki must be primarily autonomous, although human interaction is encouraged. Competitors must demonstrate the use of real AI capabilities including computer vision, face detection, speech recognition and synthesis, and object manipulation.

Challenging, right? But these technical features account for only 50% of the total score.

Read the full article about AI in robotics competitions by Tom Vander Ark at Getting Smart.