In the St. Michaels University School Electronics and Robotics 10 course, a group of Grade 9 students recently wrapped up the year with a unique final project: building robots that could play golf.
The assignment came after a series of earlier driving challenges. This time, the task was to design and build a robot capable of driving, putting and "chipping" a golf ball—an added twist that required the robot to lift the ball up a curb to a higher level. The robots had to perform on both grass and concrete surfaces, adding a layer of real-world complexity to the challenge.
Over the course of two weeks, students immersed themselves in the engineering design process. They brainstormed, tested, analyzed and revised their robots—often more than once. As in many STEAM-based learning opportunities, failure became a powerful tool, with students learning to adapt quickly when their initial plans didn’t pan out.
The final day of competition made one thing clear: testing matters. Some students quickly discovered their robots didn’t have the torque to push the ball up a concrete slope and had to pivot their strategy, opting to play on the grass where the ball didn’t roll back as easily. Others stuck with their original designs, only to make repeated attempts before rethinking their approach.
Stability and robustness also proved critical. Teams that had invested time in thoughtful planning and thorough testing tended to see more consistent results than those who focused on ambitious, but less stable, designs.
The project offered students more than just a chance to showcase their technical skills. It combined creativity, problem-solving and strategic thinking in a hands-on setting. And as the students learned, sometimes success comes not from the perfect design, but from the ability to quickly adjust and try again.
