A laboratory for training future robotics engineers has been opened in Novopolotsk
– The IT industry has made significant strides into all sectors of our lives: education, healthcare, transport, and the fuel and energy complex. The transition of the economy to a digital plane is a matter of national security. Solving complex problems, finding unconventional solutions, and thinking outside the box are the criteria needed by a modern IT specialist. I am confident that this laboratory will become a center of attraction for talented and gifted young people, allowing them not only to master the basics of robotics, 3D modeling, and programming but also to determine their future profession and prepare for admission to universities and colleges for specialized fields, – said **Sergey Reentovich, Deputy Minister of Energy of the Republic of Belarus**, at the opening.
The classroom, whose design itself encourages technical creativity, is packed with the latest technologies and equipment.
At the grand opening, the path to the laboratory was shown by a car model created by a club member, laureate of the "I Want to 3.0" competition of modern applied ideas, Dmitry Mitt, based on an Arduino microcontroller board. By the way, eight such kits have been purchased for designing and creating new devices using software. 43 educational LEGO kits and 13 laptops with high-performance graphics cards will assist in the design and programming of robots. A multi-touch board, which supports dozens of simultaneous touches, can now be used by a group of students with a teacher.
Last year, a 3D printer was purchased for the palace using budget funds. Many children became interested in 3D printing, so a second such device was bought with funds from the Ministry of Energy. Who knows what these enthusiastic schoolchildren will become?! Some will choose the profession of an engineer or programmer, while others will work for the benefit of medicine, as three-dimensional models are already being actively implemented there.
The new laboratory has been equipped with three modern educational quadcopters. Students of the technical creativity department first encountered unmanned aerial vehicles three years ago. At that time, drones were purchased from toy stores with their own funds; they were the cheapest models, which broke quickly. Nevertheless, Kirill Kubachev became a prize-winner of the Republican Competition for Professional Training Fundamentals among JuniorSkillsBelarus students in the "Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology" competence. By the way, the Belarusian Aviation Academy has a specialization in "Unmanned Aviation Systems" at the "Civil Aviation" faculty, where students can obtain qualifications as an "engineer" or "management specialist".
Young boys and girls from Novopolotsk tried their hand at various animation contests, but they created cartoons on mobile phones. They lacked equipment to achieve better results. Now the palace will have a full-fledged animation studio with a tripod, a mirrorless camera-camcorder, lighting equipment, and microphones.
Today, interactive whiteboards in lessons, modular technologies, and the use of network and electronic learning tools are commonplace. For the technological development of the state, it is important to foster a generation that can invent things and find new solutions, which is impossible without new forms of education.
– The mission of the new laboratory is to create conditions for innovative education that unlocks the potential of every child. The laboratory focuses on STEAM education. This is an innovative method where project-based activities, studying multiple subjects, and applying them in practice are prioritized. This will help children decide on a profession, – said Teresa Abalok-Glushakova, Head of the Department of Technical Creativity.
In the 11 groups of the "YunIT" laboratory, 99 children are engaged, who understand that in the modern world, success comes to those who are ready to acquire new knowledge and skills, independently solve technical problems, and show ingenuity.
– Currently, "robotics engineer" is the most promising field in engineering. Even without such equipment, our children participated in robotics competitions and became winners and prize-winners in various categories. The new equipment will allow us to improve results, – said Svetlana Kubacheva, Head of the "YunIT" laboratory.
Igor Matyush, a 7th-grade student from Secondary School No. 12 in Novopolotsk, is already an accomplished individual: a prize-winner of the Republican Competition of Innovative and Technical Creativity of Students, a winner of the "I WANT 3.0" competition of modern applied ideas in 2020, and a laureate of the same competition in 2021. The boy has been participating in the "STEAMpark" interest group at the Palace of Children and Youth since the 3rd grade. Igor admitted:
– I would like to try out all the equipment in the laboratory. But the first thing I want to test is quadcopters. They differ from ordinary drones in that they need to be programmed, a special code needs to be written before sending them on a mission. I have already studied Scratch programming and C++. I am sure that the knowledge gained here is not only good for education and self-development, but will also be useful in the future, especially since I want to pursue a profession related to IT technologies.
The opening of the laboratory is a continuation of the work that the Novopolotsk City Executive Committee is carrying out in conjunction with Polotsk State University and colleges to instill in young people a passion for natural sciences, so that in the future they will become highly qualified engineers, specialists who will create, build, invent new technologies and implement them. The Chairman of the Novopolotsk City Executive Committee, a member of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus of the seventh convocation from the Vitebsk region, Dmitry Demidov, is convinced that this hobby, which is currently perceived as a pastime, will later grow into a profession, and young people will bring much benefit to themselves, the city, and the country.
By the way, at the grand opening of the laboratory, they did not cut the traditional red ribbon, but scanned QR codes.
– I hope that this laboratory will be fully utilized to further unlock the potential of your abilities, – addressed the guys present at the grand opening of the laboratory, the Assistant to the President of the Republic of Belarus – Inspector for the Vitebsk Region, Anatoly Linevich. – The country is trying to create all the conditions to obtain a highly intelligent society. And I would like, guys, for all of you to stay in Belarus and benefit your homeland. Society awaits your ideas. I hope that with such talents, the technological development of our country will be at the world level.