“Bringing University AI and Robotics Expertise to Local Youth” Kwangwoon University Hosts the 2026 AI & Robotics Dream Up Camp
- 45 Elementary, Middle, and High School Students from Kwangwoon Foundation-Affiliated Schools and Seongnam Participate; University Student SW Volunteers Serve as Instructors -
Kwangwoon University, led by President Yoon Do-young, hosted the 2026 AI & Robotics Dream Up Camp on August 22 (Saturday) at the Kwangwoon University Pangyo Campus. The Kwangwoon University AI & Robotics Dream Up Camp is an experiential education program in which members of “Sowon,” Kwangwoon University’s software (SW) volunteer club, serve as instructors and mentors, providing elementary, middle, and high school students with hands-on learning opportunities in AI and robotics technologies.
A total of 45 students participated in the camp, including students from Kwangwoon Elementary School, Kwangwoon Middle School, Namdaemun Middle School, and Kwangwoon AI High School, all affiliated with the Kwangwoon Educational Foundation, as well as Naksaeng Elementary School, Neulpureun Middle School, Unjung High School, and Pangyo High School in Seongnam. Cho Sun-young, Chair of the Kwangwoon Educational Foundation; Yoon Do-young, President of Kwangwoon University; Jung Seok-jae, Vice President for External Affairs; and Lee Dong-seok, Mayor of Chungju, attended the event and encouraged the participating students.
Working alongside university student mentors, participants engaged in hands-on activities involving AI programming, physical computing, and robot control. They also worked directly with various electronic components, sensors, and robotic equipment, experiencing firsthand how the code they wrote could be translated into actual movements of physical devices. The program was jointly supported by Kwangwoon University’s University Innovation Project Team and Kakao Pay, with IT education support funding used to help bridge the digital education gap.
The camp was organized as part of “Seamless KW,” an initiative through which Kwangwoon University expands its educational outreach in partnership with the local community. Participation was expanded beyond schools affiliated with the Kwangwoon Educational Foundation to include elementary, middle, and high schools in the Seongnam area. The initiative aims to share Kwangwoon University’s educational expertise in AI, ICT, and robotics, along with the infrastructure of its Pangyo Campus, with the local community while providing young students with opportunities to experience emerging technologies and explore potential career paths.
The educational programs were tailored to different age groups: “AI Robot Artibo” for elementary school students; “Arduino Autonomous Vehicle” for middle school students; and “Smart 4-Axis Robotic Arm” and “Drone AI + Computer Vision” for high school students. University student mentors provided customized instruction designed to match the students’ levels of understanding. In the “AI Robot Artibo” program, students learned the fundamentals of AI and physical computing through hands-on exercises involving facial, voice, and object recognition as well as motor control using block-based coding and Python. In the “Arduino Autonomous Vehicle” program, students connected an Arduino board and sensors themselves, built an “Arduino Tree,” and explored the basic principles of electronic circuits, including electrical current and sensor operation.
In the “Smart 4-Axis Robotic Arm” program, students directly controlled the joints and gripper of a four-degree-of-freedom (4-axis) robotic arm, gaining hands-on experience with industrial robotics and smart automation technologies. In the “Drone AI + Computer Vision” program, students used Python and the Tello SDK to implement object-tracking functions and control drones using commands they programmed themselves. Participants shared their experiences, saying, “Seeing coding, which had seemed somewhat abstract, actually come to life through drones and autonomous vehicles gave me a new perspective on science.”
President Yoon Do-young said, “I hope this camp gives students the opportunity to experience future technologies firsthand and develop their interest and potential in AI and robotics. Kwangwoon University will continue to create diverse opportunities for young people to grow into future science and technology leaders by leveraging the university’s educational and research capabilities.”
Lee Dong-seok, Mayor of Chungju, who made a special visit to the camp to encourage the students, emphasized that “AI and robotics technologies are key drivers that will shape the future.” He added, “As Chungju is also pursuing its transformation into an advanced AI and robotics city of the future, we will actively work to establish effective support policies so that young people who aspire to become future AI and robotics talents can pursue their dreams and grow into key professionals in these fields.”
Meanwhile, Kwangwoon University continues to expand various programs aimed at sharing its robotics education and research capabilities with the local community and nurturing future robotics talent. In particular, in May 2027, the university plans to further expand opportunities for robotics education and global talent development through the Robofest 2027 World Championship Seoul, which will bring together young robotics talents from around the world and strengthen connections between the university, the local community, and the global robotics education ecosystem.
