In 2010 my FRC team ran a holiday RoboCamp, (Or, as my fellow Americans would say “Spring Vacation.”) and this year we did it again.  The event is always my favorite three days of school holidays and I look forward to it every year!

Many people assume after looking after 26 year 3-7 students for three days we would be completely and utterly exhausted.  But, instead it is the opposite.  Events like this remind me of the power FIRST has to change students lives.  Some of the students started off the camp unexcited about STEM but by the end of the first day, they were enthused about their robots and couldn’t wait to come back for day 2.

As part of the camp, we try to incorporate enjoyable robotics related activities on campus.  This year, we included a library tour.  What, you ask, does this have to do with robotics?  Well, Macquarie University opened a new library this year with the first Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) in an Australian library.  The system is amazing!

 It can hold about 1.8 million books in the 4 story high storage facility.  The entire room is climate controlled to have the perfect humidity and temperature to keep the books in better condition longer.  The oldest book the library has is from the 14th century!

 

 That means it is about 700 years old!!!  It is incredible to me that this robot is based on the same concepts of the LEGO robots that we build for FLL!  And, it helps preserve the books for future generations to read.