Adelaide Robotics Academy

About Adelaide Robotics Academy

Adelaide Robotics Academy is a STEM Education Centre for students 8-18 years old. We run Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) daily courses and clubs at Thebarton Community Centre, as well as workshops, incursions, and science displays for Adelaide schools, libraries, OSHC, and special events.


The Adelaide Robotics Academy provides an immersive, individualised learning experience for students interested in Computer Science, Engineering and Technology. The Curriculum follows various courses tailored to their level of expertise – with options ranging from beginner-level to advanced programs!

Apart from learning, our students attend excursions each year to various Adelaide businesses involved in high tech, automation, artificial intelligence, engineering, Education, and Defence. We also operate the only club in Adelaide that competes against mainstream schools in RoboCup Junior Championship, winning five trophies in 2019, three in 2020, and three in 2021.

It’s fun, engaging, hands-on, and prepares young people for future careers!


Beginner Course:

The Beginner Course uses Kai’s Clan robots. Kai is a new type of robot made in New Zealand that saw massive success in the US (currently used in more than 5,000 schools). They are physical robots that can be programmed in class and remotely, so if students cannot attend a class, they can still join their teammates. The new minion-like robots also offer AR and VR capabilities. The Curriculum is collaborative with activities ranging from running a mission on Mars to a smart city, an autonomous warehouse and even a rescue/battle run. The program works on all devices (laptops, tablets, Chromebooks) and doesn’t require installation as it runs on the browser. The students can even create avatars for their robots in Tinkercad and Minecraft. And in the future, the manufacturer intends to organise international competitions on virtual chess and space races using robots.


Intermediate Course

The Intermediate students Level 2 program LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robots. They follow a Curriculum designed by Carnegie Mellon University. The syllabus includes challenges, activities, videos, resources, documentation, materials, competitions, and tools for Robotics. The course provides a structured sequence of building and programming activities in real-world project-based contexts. There are 100+ projects designed to get students thinking about the patterns and structure of Robotics and problem-solving more generally. The course is based on the principles of Computational Thinking. On completion, students may take an optional 70 questions exam, and if successful, they are awarded a Certificate from Carnegie Mellon University. We are accredited to organise certification exams on behalf of Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy for LabVIEW (EV-G) and EV3 Classroom.


Advanced Course Level 1

Admission to the Advanced Course is only possible through two distinct pathways: upon graduation from the Beginners Course Level 2 or upon passing a test designed to demonstrate a solid understanding of at least one object-oriented, general-purpose programming language (e. g., Python). The test can be organised at request by booking a free trial session (only available 4-5 pm in the Beginners Level 1).

The students enrolled in the Advanced course pursue a progressive curriculum designed to prepare them for the University level.

In Level 1, the Advanced students learn multiple fields of Computer Science, starting with high-level, general-purpose programming in Python, JavaScript, Node-RED, and OpenCV.

They program robots and drones to solve complex challenges through various scenarios that require innovation, adaptability and teamwork (for example, working as part of a multidisciplinary team in a simulated Crisis Management Centre and tackling situations such as floods and bushfires).

They also learn Project Management by simulating complex missions like Mars exploration or supply delivery in remote areas. Another application is the war room strategy game, which requires planning and launching complex campaigns.


Advanced Level 2

In Level 2, Advanced students learn Computer Vision with OpenCV and build practical applications (document scanner, OCR, Instagram and Snapchat filters, barcode/QR code scanner, intrusion detection, digital signatures, ArUco markers, etc.).


Advanced Level 3

In Level 3, the advanced students learn Machine Learning and work on builds such as face recognition, intelligent body monitoring, dashcam, drowsy driver and lane detection for vehicles, attendance management system, people counting, surveillance and security systems, etc.


Advanced Level 4

In Level 4, the advanced students take the next step to Deep Learning with PyTorch and NumPy. They study neural networks and build projects such as X-rays analyser, obstacle avoidance for cars, gym trainers, etc.


Advanced Level 5

Starting with Level 5, the students will learn how to deploy real-world Computer Vision solutions to the web. Nowadays, developers can create fantastic computer vision projects but cannot convert them into commercially viable products they can sell because their apps lack attractive graphical interfaces (GUI). Therefore we decided to teach the students web development using HTML, CSS and JavaScript so they can create web apps.


Advanced Level 6

The students will continue to study the principles of good design and user experience so that they can create apps that are not only functional but also user-friendly. They will also learn to use the latest tools and techniques to capture, process, and interpret visual data.


Advanced Level 7

The students will develop practical solutions they can commercialise, such as clothes virtual measurement tools, retail traffic counters, custom object detection (i.e. suspicious luggage detector or weapons detection), Augmented Reality (AR) virtual glasses try-on, car counters, customer engagement (face emotion), license plate recognition, OCR (text extraction), face mask detector, personal protection equipment (PPE) detection, drowsiness detection, intruder detector, face attendance, blink counter, multiple choice questions (MCQ) automatic grading, AI personal trainer (virtual gym), virtual painter, virtual mouse and more.