Estonian Experience in Robotics by Heilo Altin, Founder,NPO Robootika, Estonia

1. Educational Robotics in Estonia
Heilo Altin

2. Educational Robotics in Estonia
Ramon Rantsus
Heilo Altin

4. • No pep talk
• Long-term investment

5. 3000 programmers could be hired by tomorrow
in Estonia

6. Can anyone become an engineer?

7. GOAL
Introduce kids to technology, offer them the
opportunity to create, design, test and play
with it starting
in
kindergarten

8. After-school activities in
comprehensive schools 2013
Science and technology
Everything else
Source: Estonian Education
Information System database
2013, spring

9. Concept
Gain
interest
Train
teachers
Get the
robots
Support
schools
Organize
outputs

10. Concept
Gain
interest
Train
teachers
Get the
robots
Support
schools
Organize
outputs

11. Robotic theatre
 Outcome
 Risks
Workshops
 Effect on whom?
Fairs
How Do We Gain Interest?

12. Robotic theatre in Hiiumaa, 2010 december

13. Concept
Gain
interest
Train
teachers
Get the
robots
Support
schools
Organize
outputs

14. Positive emotion vs hard work
Time oriented vs results
 Typical thinking: „I did not
understand exactly how this works,
but I will take a look at it in school!“
Teacher training

15. Teacher training of robotics and mechatronics course in Tartu 2013

16. Concept
Gain
interest
Train
teachers
Get the
robots
Support
schools
Organize
outputs

17. Getting the robots
Recommended robotic sets
LEGO MINDSTORMS
Robolabor
Support from the goverment
Tiger Leap - RIP
Smart Lab

18.  Smartlab project
 Look@World Foundation
 Microsoft Estonia
 EMT and Elion, which are telecommunications companies operating
in Estonia. EMT and Elion belong to TeliaSonera, Europe’s 5th largest
telecommunications group.
 The total contribution to the Smartlab by Microsoft, EMT and Elion is
185,000 euros. In 2013 additional partner joined project - Itella
Logistics, Playtech, BCS Intera.
NutiLabor - SmartLab hobby trainings

19. LEGO Mindstorms NXT

20. LEGO Mindstorms EV3

21. Robolabor

22. Concept
Gain
interest
Train
teachers
Get the
robots
Support
schools
Organize
outputs

23. Support
List for teachers
www.robootika.ee
Trainings
Robotic theatre
Competitions
Ramon’s mobile phone

24. Concept
Gain
interest
Train
teachers
Get the
robots
Support
schools
Organize
outputs

25. Outputs
Competitions
Technology days
National contest
Multiple disciplines
FIRST® LEGO ® League

26. FIRST LEGO League 2012 semi final in Tartu AHHAA Science center

27. Idea?
Not to teach robotics!

28. Idea
Big Bang theory in school

30. 27 % of schools in Estonia
have joined the project

32. „It is not about people building robots, it is
about robots building people!“
 Thank you!
 www.robootika.ee
 Heilo.Altin@ut.ee
 +372 51 87 617