On Jan 26, Beijing City International School (BCIS) inaugurated its APEX Lab on school premises, heralding a step into the future of education at the International Baccalaureate (IB)-accredited school. The opening event was the culmination of a week’s worth of interactive robotics experiences and also hosted local award-winning innovator and founder of Tiangong Robotics, Xiao Jun, in a panel discussion with students, teachers and parents alike.

Functioning as both a tech-driven space and an intelligent robotics learning hub, the BCIS APEX Lab (also referred to as “The APEX”) aims to deliver a unique teaching experience and hands-on engagement for teachers and students. The APEX is a natural step up from the elementary school’s Maker Space and the middle school’s Design Technology Lab. It serves as a hub for learning, showcasing, and competitions, extending the school’s existing technology education initiatives. The word “apex” signifies the highest point, and in this case refers to the pursuit of academic excellence at BCIS as well as the school’s commitment to achieving outstanding accomplishments in fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The aim is to lead innovation, adopt cutting-edge technology, and ensure the school remains at the forefront of tech education.

A week before the launch event, coffe-making and SRT fruit-sorting robots made their debut in the school cafeteria to spark students’ curiosity and encourage them to understand robot performance characteristics through observation and operation. Furthermore, the school collaborated with industry-leading robot education project developers to share insights with high school students on the “journey from maker to entrepreneur” and how they transform passion for robots into viable entrepreneurial projects.

BCIS believes that future education is not about describing the future but inspiring students to create it. True to that belief, student representative Jiarong revealed the collaborative efforts of teachers and students in designing The APEX. The construction involved converting an unused space into the envisioned learning environment, with students participating in 3D modeling and planning. Over nearly two years, the center was equipped with classroom robots, including existing LEGO EV3 and VEX V5 for both in-class and extracurricular teaching. Industrial robots were also introduced to emphasize practicality and problem-solving capabilities, inspiring students to think about future exploration areas.

With the launch of The APEX as a starting point, BCIS students will explore unmanned warehouses in e-commerce platforms, teachers will continue to iterate and upgrade tech courses, and the school will host large-scale robot competitions, focusing on cutting-edge technology to contribute to the deep integration of technological innovation and socio-economic development in the education industry.

Tom Egerton, principal of BCIS, states: “The APEX fits with our strategic direction of a personalized approach to education, developing collaboration and leadership skills. It challenges, inspires and empowers our students to dream big, aim high and reach their pinnacle. We hope in time ‘Meet you at The APEX’ becomes a common phrase at BCIS for parents, students, and teachers to gather to learn.”

Images: Courtesy of BCIS

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If ideas espoused in sci-fi films fill you with fear, then being alive at this particular time in history must be a living nightmare for you. Robocop and all the quaint ideas of 90’s sci-fi are neither quaint nor are they mere ideas. Establishments all across countries like Japan have begun employing real life robots for everything from serving in restaurants to caring for the elderly. China employs Artificial Intelligence at ports of entry to eliminate the need for long queues at customs. A year or so ago, a team at the BBC carried out a radical experiment in conjunction with Chinese police to see just how long it would take to find a “criminal” in one of China’s highly populated mega-cities. The results were an astonishing seven minutes, thanks to a complex system of face recognition AI technology woven into the very fabric of everyday Chinese life.

The future is certainly now, and one of those leading the charge into this brilliant AI future is Sotirios Stasinopoulos, co-founder and CEO of Popular Robotics. Stasinopoulos, a native of Greece, came to Beijing over nine years ago to pursue two of his passions – the Chinese language and robotics. “I did my undergrad in Electrical & Computer Engineering and my Master’s degree in Computer Vision in Athens, Greece, where I am from, and I moved to Beijing in 2011 to do an internship and continue studying Chinese, something that I had started as a hobby back in Greece, but was really interested in. A year after that, I started my PhD in Robotics and Automation in Tsinghua University,” recounts Stasinopoulos. And like many Chinese university educated expats in China, he decided to stay on, working for a leading robotics company – UBTech Robotics – before venturing out and starting his own business.

Sotirios Stasinopoulos

Talking about AI is all well and good, but what exactly are robots? I will admit to have a whimsical idea of what a robot is, and it is a cross between the Transformers and Rosie the robot maid from the Sixties cartoon The Jetsons. “Robotics is the study of the design, construction, operation, and use of robots. Robots are machines that can be used to perform tasks, either by people controlling them, or by accomplishing them by themselves, autonomously,” explains Stasinopoulos. “Robots are a combination of their mechanical bodies and the software/programs that make these mechanical bodies move, analyze their environments, and perform tasks. Robotics entails different disciplines such as: mathematics, physics, biology, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, and automation technology, including sensors, controllers, etc. All of these are needed to create the systems that a robot needs in order to operate.”

If that still sounds rather daunting to wrap your head around, it is understandable. It might also be one of the reasons why kids fear entering into the world of not only engineering, but that of robotics.  This field still remains a mystery for those interested, with there being a wealth of information online but rarely any direct way in which to experiment.

Stasinopoulos (center) after being selected as one of the top 30 entrepreneurs in China in 2019

“Traditionally, the first contact with robotics would happen during some university courses in undergrad majors, such as electrical/computer/mechanical engineering, automation, or others. But the knowledge would be on a more theoretical level and more hands-on experience would be gained in a subsequent Master’s and PhD degree in Robotics. In recent years, with the advent of online education and the availability of more resources for self-learning, but also because of the progress of AI technology, students have access to hands-on robotics education from younger ages.” Such has been the situation according to Stasinopoulos, until recently, when he and other like-minded engineers hosted robotics camps with an aim to offer this much needed hands-on experience to the younger generation.

China, as a nation, has set itself apart as a leader in this field, constantly producing some of the top engineering minds globally, while offering conducive and competitive programs to both encourage creativity and innovation. And yet, a concern held all around the world about demographics within fields under the wide umbrella of hard sciences cannot be escaped. Despite a growth in numbers in the participation of female engineers in the promising field of robotics, they still make up a marginal 30 percent of the total. “We still have a lot of a work to do towards this direction and it needs to start from a young age. Young girls should be encouraged to explore more engineering-related projects, and building machines and robots should not only be considered as a thing boys should enjoy,” advises Stasinopoulos.

And on how to get kids into engineering and robotics, Stasinopoulos has a few words of wisdom: “An engineering way of thinking, which is the basis of robotics, can be cultivated from an early age, by taking part in classes that encourage kids to analyze how things are built and assembled, but also the reason why they were built this way along with the function that their structure serves. But also, classes that give them the creative freedom to build their own devices to accomplish specific tasks, not limiting their imaginations. If that creative spark is ignited from a young age, it can help a lot in kids having the curiosity and resourcefulness to take on engineering problems and figure out solutions. Afterwards, parents should expose kids to programming and robotics courses from an age that they can be computer literate, meaning from when they can start handling computers on their own. There are different levels of difficulty in coding skills that fit different ages, but students can be introduced to simpler coding types from as young as 5-6 years old. Students 5-10 years are best suited to use more visual, block-based programming tools, such as Scratch or Blockly, whereas 10-year-old students and above could begin to study more complex programming languages, such as Python or C/C++, which are closer to the ones used in real professional environments. Parents can expose their kids to workshop series or camps that teach these skills and keep some continuity in this sort of education in order to build their kids’ capabilities, but also their confidence that robotics is something they can accomplish, not just for PhD experts.”

Whether or not this feels digestible or still feels quite daunting a topic to wrap one’s head around, it is an inescapable fact that Artificial Intelligence is not just a fad, but the future of innovation. Panic-stricken individuals across the world worry about being rendered redundant by automation of certain industries, but this should not be worth worrying about in the event that we encourage our children to not only familiarize themselves with the inner workings of the industry, but to explore and grow their talents as rapidly as the industry itself is evolving. “AI applications are already finding their ways into tasks we perform on an everyday basis, and although only some low level robots, such as robot floor sweepers and hotel delivery robots, have found their ways to consumer environments for now, in the following three to five years more task-specific robots will make consumers’ lives easier, and we have the first multi-tasking robot assistants in nine to ten years from now. With the continuous progress of AI, these robots will be able to intelligently perform tasks while integrating into our existing environments. This revolution will happen globally, but countries like China are definitely in the forefront of developing such intelligent robots,” admits Stasinopoulos. Simply put, China is ground zero for this next step of such innovation.

Stasinopoulos is just one among several brilliant minds directly involved in mentoring and training kids in the field of robotics. “We have organized workshops in Beijing No.4 High School International Campus and RDFZ – 人大附中- Chaoyang International High School, and have been providing our courses as an ASA for the International Montessori School of Beijing (MSB) since September 2019, while starting a new cooperation from next semester with Beanstalk International Bilingual School (BIBS). The mode of cooperation with these schools has been in two distinct ways: we provide a teacher and the content for the ASA courses, or we train their teachers to be able to teach the courses based on the content on our online platform Robociti and the accompanying robotic hardware we provide. We are very eager to work with even more international schools in 2020,” says Stasinopoulos. The future is indeed promising in the world of robotics. As schools continue to embrace it as a necessary subject, schoolkids will undoubtedly turn our sci-fi nightmares into a beautiful futuristic AI reality.

Photos: courtesy of Sotirios Stasinopoulos, jain.software

In this blog, we are joining one of the most popular clubs at BWYA, the Lego Robotics Club, to find out what they’ve been up to.

First Impressions

We first joined the Lego Robotics club in January of this year. At that time, BWYA had four teams participating in the ACAMIS Northern Region Qualifiers.

A BWYA primary school student during the ACAMIS Northern Region Qualifiers

The competition was incredibly tight, particularly for the ‘Robot Game’ session – every team has to finish as many tasks as possible, in a very short space of time. However, after many hours of training, the students were calm and collected; from unloading parts to swapping robots, everything was smooth and fast.

“There were many unexpected points in the actual game. For example, the gap between the arena map, and the arena walls was much larger than expected, so we had to give up some tasks. Although thinking back now, giving up was the right choice, since it gave us more time to finish others”, Grade 8 student Rain Lin shared with us after the game. During the course of the interview, we also learned that behind the students’ performance, were hours of practice and countless exercises. At one point in the interview, Rain told us he was coming to school every weekend to prepare. When pressed for confirmation, he smiled and replied, “Yes, almost every weekend, of course with the teacher!”

Talking about preparation, Adam Xu from the ninth grade also shared, “We started preparing more than three months ago, and even had our own practice competitions. We originally had four teams at the secondary school, but after competing together, decided only to send the three best to represent our school.” [Note: the fourth team in the competition came from the primary school]

BWYA teams at the ACAMIS Northern Region Qualifiers

Hard work pays off though, and the final results from the qualifiers were a real encouragement – achieving top results across the board. ‘Robot Design and Programming’ – first place; ‘Robot Game’ – second place; ‘Core Values – second place; ‘Research Project’ – third place; and in the overall championship placing second and fourth, with two teams successfully selected to advance to the national championship.

Robotics: Not just for boys

Asked about the club’s usual activities, Grade 9 student Kelly Yang told us, “In fact, most of our activities are centered around the competition. Mr. Danny Yu shares a lot of learning resources with us, such as the EV3 guide [a Lego Robotics Guide], and helps us learn how to use them well. Although he doesn’t always show us exactly what to do, we also have a lot of space and freedom to figure out things on our own. Obviously, during the actual competitions, the coaches aren’t allowed to help.” During the competition, Kelly presented the team’s research project, speaking fluently and clearly on the topic.

Also from the ninth grade, student Nicole Xu was responsible for the in-depth study and preparation of the research project. “For this competition, our topic was ‘How to Solve the Problem of Astronauts’ Loss of Bone in Space.’ We did a lot of research and study.”

The building blocks for something great

In many people’s minds, robotics and programming are for boys and men, Nicole though wanted to tell us, “Gender isn’t an obstacle to learning programming or robotics. I don’t think that because I’m a girl, I can’t do it well, or am worse than the boys. The most important thing is what do you love and enjoy in your heart, not others’ opinions and prejudices.” Before joining the robotics club, Nicole also spent time on her own learning Javascript, as well as reading about other programming languages. Her self-confidence and pride in her achievements were clear to see.

Another of the club’s students now in the eighth grade, Christina Ge, starting playing with Lego as a two-year-old. Having been a club member for two years now, she shared her passion for robotics and programming with us, “I have been interested in robots since I was very small. So far, as well as Lego, I’ve also learned VEX IQ, VEX EDR, Arduinos, and FRC, as well as C, C++, CSS, Java, and Javascript. In the future, I’d like to study an artificial intelligence related major.”

Not fighting alone

At the competitions, teamwork is key. As Kelly shared with us, “We all have our own responsibilities and tasks, and by separating the work well, we ensure the team gets the best result.”

Teamwork is key during competitions

Student Adam Xu was captain of the Flat Earth Society team. They had many challenges to overcome. “To begin with, everyone was incredibly busy. As well as the Lego competition, we were also all involved in many different activities. It definitely wasn’t how I’d imagined it. However, after some reflection, I realized I wasn’t being very tolerant, and needed to think about others’ responsibilities more and make sure I was working honestly, and hard, for the areas I was responsible for. The competition result wasn’t everything. So slowly, I learned how to work well with others who have different responsibilities, and make sure I had carried out the tasks I was responsible for to the best of my ability.”

At the eventual national championship though, Adam’s team fought very well, with their teamwork and cooperation earning them third places in both robot design and programming, from amongst 28 teams from all of China.

So what lies next?

Tenth grade Franklin Xiong also used to be a club member. Even though he has left the club now, he is still very happy to share with us stories from his time with Lego Robotics. Franklin’s most memorable moment comes from the Shanghai American School FLL English Tournament, held in Shanghai last January. Although it was BWYA’s first competition, the students managed to win the ‘Rookie Star’ award, as the best new team.

BWYA secondary school teams in competition

“When we received the trophy, it felt like all the hard work we’d put in was worthwhile”, he shared with us full of pride and joy in the club’s previous achievement.

Since starting in 2013, the club has now had six spring and autumn seasons. With new members joining as the older ones leave though, the experience and learning are unbroken, going from strength to strength.

When Rain first joined the club, he wasn’t very confident, but in his own words told us he, “loves drilling bull horns [a Chinese chengyu about studying difficult problems]”. Busy with robotics jobs, when one method doesn’t work, another will be found, even if it takes a few days.

However, other members of the club have different approaches to problem-solving. Talking about another old member of the club, Kevin Zhang, Rain tells us, “Kevin would adjust and modify his projects and thinking immediately if he found a problem, and I am starting to realize that my own approach has some problems. When I have difficulties, I might spend two or three hours focusing on that specific problem, and miss a simpler, more general solution, or even give up, do some other tasks, and then spend even more time on this little obstacle. Even though he has left the club now, the impact he left on me is very deep.”

BWYA students working together on a lego robot

The learning and growth aren’t merely limited to the teachers and students individually though but also affects student to student interactions. As German philosopher Karl Jaspers said, “Education is a tree shaking another tree, a cloud driving another cloud, a soul awakening another soul.” So as the students continue their educational journey, it is possible for them to become that tree, or cloud, or soul. In fact, these learning experiences and opportunities are everywhere.

Along with Christina Ge and Rain Lin, are many students, excited about what tomorrow has in store, and hoping to apply to artificial intelligence related majors in the future. Wilson Lin, a ninth-grade student interested in artificial intelligence and psychology told us, “If I had sufficient resources and it was technologically achievable, I would most like to design a completely just robot, similar to a courtroom judge, but unlike humans, one that would be completely fair, without any prejudices or bias.”

The future is full of possibilities

The Lego Robotics Club at the BWYA primary school

So how do we raise a new generation of young people that are even better prepared to meet and create the future that will ultimately belong to them? The answer is in our hands. Cherishing every opportunity to understand and learn from one another, since these opportunities are the starting point for development.

This post is provided by BWYA
Photos courtesy of BWYA