Finch the Robot Finch the Robot

This was an afternoon where children and their parents could discover how a robot responds to its environment. Children aged 10 and up were able to programme two Finch Robots with tiny lights and sensors, offering them insight into the process of devising and controlling a robot.

Children aged 8 and up were able to issue instructions directly to a 'Push-button robot', and children of all ages could also make a simple robot out of tiny engines and LEDs.

The exhibition Garden of Machines presented a world in which we learn to live not only with people but also with plants and animals. With this exhibition, children were able to imagine and sketch their future as a way of exploring how these machines might impact our lives?

Age: 6 - 12 years

Emer Beamer is a designer, innovator in education and founder. With her organisation Unexpect she teaches children to design a better future with new technologies. In November 2014 she led the Global Children's Designathon, in which children from five countries developed prototypes in response to issues such as waste disposal and mobility in the city. Now set for launch is the Designathon School, where primary school children learn to develop their creativity and discover new technologies through engaging with them. Emer works with the Freedom Lab in Amsterdam.