How are digital robotics different (and similar) to physical robotics? How has the educational game industry changed over the years? What’s the difference between scholastic esports and esports in general? If you are wondering about any of the following, we have just the podcast for you! Dan White joined Exaptec CEO Nicci Rossouw for an episode of the “Let’s talk robotics” podcast. In the episode, Dan and Nicci discuss the future and the design of our upcoming sandbox robotics game RoboCo, the power of the play and experimentation that educational video games allow students, and so much more.
Check out the conversation below, and be sure to let us know what you think of the conversation over on our Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn!
Episode outline:
[0:00] Introduction
[2:12] Dan White’s background in educational game design and how it lead to the creation of RoboCo
[4:31] How the educational game industry has changed over the years
[5:07] Differences and similarities between educational games and entertainment games
[6:45] How to assess if educational games are working for students
[8:24] RoboCo’s mission and audience
[10:06] RoboCo and preparing students for STEM industries
[11:14] RoboCo and appealing to different demographics of gamers
[12:34] FIRST and FIRST Global, the potential for digital robotics leagues, and the FGRC21
[15:21] Digital robotics, physical robotics, and scholastic esports
[19:46] The vision for RoboCo and the power of hands-on learning for career planning
[29:57] What the future holds for RoboCo
[31:49] How often Dan plays RoboCo and how the game has influenced his thinking about engineering
[34:29] Prototyping in RoboCo
[35:37] Overview of the challenges in RoboCo and how they are designed
[38:33] Conclusion
If you enjoyed this episode and you’re interested in keeping up with all things RoboCo, be sure to check out RoboCo’s official website, sign up for the RoboCo newsletter, and wishlist RoboCo on Steam!
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