Not a 1-trick pony, robot built by children parades skills


Future engineers at Zeytinburnu Knowledge Houses have built a robot that can do pushups, sit-ups, roll over, play football and do "zeybek," a traditional Turkish dance from the Aegean.

The Turkish-speaking robot competed at the 11th Istanbul Technical University Robotics Olympics (ITURO 2017). The robotics workshop was led by Istanbul University Assistant Professors Burak Şişman and Yavuz Yaman and aimed at enhancing children's imagination and motor skills.

The workshop also encourages children to discover their talents. Initiated first at the Veliefendi Knowledge House, the robotics workshop has five stages and offers 32-week courses for children.

Throughout the course, children are allowed to build the robot of their dreams and compete at different robotics competitions in Turkey and around the globe.