I-KISS Institute for Practical Robotics (KIPR) ikhuthaza indlela yemfundo ye-STEM ekhokelwa ngabafundi ngeenkqubo zayo ze-Botball neJunior Botball Challenge (JBC). Ikhokelwa nguMlawuli oyiNtloko uSteve Goodgame, eli nyathelo lisebenzisa imodeli “yenkundla elinganayo” apho bonke abathathi-nxaxheba bafumana ikhithi yamacandelo efanayo, kwaye abantu abadala abavumelekanga ukunceda kwiindawo zokhuphiswano. Iirobhothi kufuneka zisebenze ngokuzimeleyo ngo-100%, ziqaliswe yisensa yokukhanya zize zime ngokwazo emva kwemizuzu emibini. Ukuxhasa ukudityaniswa negumbi lokufundela, le nkqubo inayo i-Botball Academy — isimulator yekhompyutha esekelwe kwifiziksi yokuvavanya iiyilo — kunye nesilawuli se-JBC esikhethekileyo esivumela abafundi abafikelela kwabahlanu ukuba babhale baze basebenzise amacandelo ahlukeneyo ekhowudi kwirobhothi enye ngaxeshanye.

Into eyahlula i-Botball kwezinye kukwala kwayo ukubhala inkqubo ngeebhloko okwenziwe lula, ikhethe iilwimi ezisekelwe kumbhalo ezifana ne-C ne-Python kwasebuncinaneni. Ngokufaka ezi zixhobo ngqo kwikharityhulam yesikolo yemihla ngemihla endaweni yokuzigcina njengeeklabhu zasemva kwesikolo, i-KIPR ixela ukuba ukuthatha inxaxheba kwamantombazana kunyuka kusuka kuma-30% kwiimodeli zokhuphiswano zesiqhelo kusiya ngaphezu kwama-55% kumagumbi okufundela e-JBC. Olu tshintsho lukwacela umngeni imodeli yesiqhelo yeqela lerobhothiki “lomgca wovelisiwe” — apho abafundi bekhetha ukwakha kuphela okanye ukubhala inkqubo kuphela — ngokukhuthaza bonke abathathi-nxaxheba ukuba baphuhlise izakhono ezinqumla amacandelo kuzo zombini ihardware nesoftwe.

Kubafundisi boMzantsi Afrika abaqhuba ukusekwa kwekharityhulam yesizwe yeKhowudi neRobhothiki, imodeli ye-Botball inika isifundo esibalulekileyo. Ibonisa indlela ukusa abafundi kwiindawo ezisekelwe kwiibhloko ukuya kwi-Python esekelwe kumbhalo phakathi kosuku lwesikolo oluqhelekileyo okunokuvula ngayo ukufikelela nokunyusa ngokumandla ukuthatha inxaxheba kwamantombazana, ngaphandle kokufuna ihardware edulayo engamiselwanga.