GoROBO：ITMO大学启动加速器的教育举措

Let’s talk about the educational environment they want to create, why they chose to build such an unusual startup, and what awaits GoROBO clubs in the future.

让我们谈谈他们想要创造的教育环境，为什么他们选择建立这样一个不寻常的初创企业，以及未来GoROBO俱乐部的期待。

^{Inside ITMO University: The robotics labInside ITMO University：机器人实验室}

机器人革命 (The robotics revolution)

Robotics are as popular as ever. According to the Russian Association of Robotics, a total of 1500 robotics clubs operated in the country as of 2017. This number continues to grow, alongside the number of franchises that make opening such clubs easier. Public schools and youth centres are purchasing specialized equipment to open up robotics clubs of their own. A new breed of maker spaces for children, dubbed «Quantoriums», are popping up across the country.

机器人技术一如既往地受欢迎。 根据俄罗斯机器人协会的数据，截至2017年，该国共有1500个机器人俱乐部在运营。这个数字继续增长，同时特许经营的数量也使得开设此类俱乐部变得更加容易。 公立学校和青年中心正在购买专用设备，以开设自己的机器人俱乐部。 全国各地都涌现出一种新型的儿童创客空间，称为“ Quantoriums”。

The overall level of expertise in robotics grows together with the infrastructure, which means that, each year, there are more and more qualified professionals eager to educate children. All good signs for a business like GoROBO. Eldar Ihlasov, one of GoROBO’s co-founders, admits that he wouldn’t have opened this business if not for his eldest son, who became involved with the local youth centre’s robotics club. After helping his child secure the second place in a city-level robotics competition, Eldar realised that he really enjoyed this sort of work. After a year of doing this at home, he opened the first GoROBO location.

机器人技术的整体专业水平与基础设施一起增长，这意味着，每年都有越来越多的合格专业人士渴望教育儿童。 对于GoROBO这样的企业来说，所有的好兆头。 GoROBO的联合创始人之一Eldar Ihlasov承认，如果不是他的长子加入了当地青年中心的机器人俱乐部，他就不会开这家公司。 在帮助他的孩子在城市级机器人竞赛中获得第二名之后，Eldar意识到他真的很喜欢这种工作。 经过一年的在家工作，他开设了第一个GoROBO办公地点。

建立团队 (Building the team)

The early days of GoROBO were tough: most students left the centre after the end of the trial period. To deter them from leaving, Eldar decided to purchase a kid-friendly educational 3D printer. As luck would have it, the perfect device for his needs was right under his nose — at ITMO University. Local engineer Stanislav Pimenov has been developing such hardware for a while now, and was able to help Eldar. Following the acquisition, the business troubles started subsiding and Eldar extended an offer of partnership to Stanislav.

GoROBO的初期很艰难：大多数学生在试用期结束后离开中心。 为了阻止他们离开，Eldar决定购买儿童友好型教育3D打印机。 幸运的是，满足他需求的理想设备就在他的鼻子下面-在ITMO大学。 当地工程师Stanislav Pimenov已经开发此类硬件已有一段时间了，并且能够帮助Eldar。 收购之后，业务麻烦开始平息，Eldar向斯坦尼斯拉夫提供了合作意向。

As of this moment, there are twelve people on the GoROBO payroll, not counting outsourced labour. They operate seven clubs all over the city. Classes are taught by university seniors and STEM degree holders with experience in competitive robotics, while the administrators facilitate other aspects of club operations. Each of the founders is personally supervising several locations — keeping track of large-scale issues, advancing marketing efforts, and doing quality control.

截至目前，GoROBO的工资表上已有十二个人，这还不包括外包劳力。 他们在全市经营七个俱乐部。 这些课程由具有竞争机器人学经验的大学前辈和STEM学位持有者教授，而管理员则负责俱乐部运营的其他方面。 每位创始人都亲自监管多个地点-跟踪大规模问题，推进营销工作以及进行质量控制。

— Eldar Ihlasov

— Eldar Ihlasov

教育，教育，教育 (Education, education, education)

The clubs are open to kids of 5 and up with no prior experience in robotics. There are three educational pathways. The first is a 2-year program for younger children. The second is a similar program aimed at teens. The most experienced of students are getting personalised assistance with their research projects and competitive endeavours.

俱乐部对5岁及5岁以上的孩子开放，以前没有机器人技术经验。 有三种教育途径。 首先是针对年幼儿童的两年制课程。 第二个是针对青少​​年的类似计划。 最有经验的学生将通过他们的研究项目和竞争努力获得个性化的帮助。

During their studies, the kids build microcontroller-based gadgets and print 3D models. The use of free and open-source software (Scratch and TinkerCAD) ensures that, given the right equipment, kids can continue to apply their skills outside the club. At the end of the day, students are free to take their creations home, to use and show off.

在学习期间，孩子们会构建基于微控制器的小工具并打印3D模型。 使用免费和开源软件( Scratch和TinkerCAD )可确保在有了适当设备的情况下，孩子们可以继续在俱乐部外运用自己的技能。 归根结底，学生可以自由地将自己的作品带回家，使用和炫耀。

^GoROBOGoROBO

To help motivate their students, GoROBO clubs host internal robotics competitions in December and May. Throughout the year, the kids are encouraged to participate in city- and country-level events.

为了激励学生，GoROBO俱乐部在12月和5月举办了内部机器人竞赛。 全年都鼓励孩子们参加城市和国家级的活动。

下一步是什么 (What’s next)

With seven locations already open, the founders have a good idea of what it takes to operate a GoROBO club. Now they want to take their business to the next level by becoming a full-fledged franchise. To make this transition smooth, the company chose to enrol into the ITMO University accelerator program.

创立者已经开设了七个地点，他们对经营GoROBO俱乐部需要些什么很清楚。 现在，他们希望通过成为一个完整的特许经营权，将自己的业务提升到一个新的水平。 为了使过渡顺利进行，该公司选择加入ITMO大学加速器计划 。

They worked with experts in the field of education, and exchanged ideas with other accelerator residents. The assigned curator helped them create a proper business plan and shape the vision of the project’s future.

他们与教育领域的专家合作，并与其他加速器居民交流了想法。 指派的策展人帮助他们制定了适当的商业计划，并塑造了该项目未来的愿景。

— Eldar Ihlasov

— Eldar Ihlasov

P.S. GoROBO clubs are open from September to May, just like regular schools. Parents cannot be present during the class, but are welcome to look at their kids’ creations once it is over. In the near future, the company is planning to develop a platform to track students’ progress and host remote classes.

就像普通学校一样，PS GoROBO俱乐部从9月至5月开放。 上课期间，父母不能在场，但是一旦结束，欢迎他们看看孩子的创作。 在不久的将来，该公司计划开发一个平台来跟踪学生的学习进度并主持远程课程。

翻译自: https://habr.com/en/company/spbifmo/blog/493260/