Robotics Takes Science by Storm

After 15 years of visual effects and feature film work,  Darren Jones, founder of BrainStorm Studios, decided to open his own studio.

Except, the San Juan Capistrano-based studio doesn't make movies. His is a place to inspire kids to like science and see what they can do with it.

Inspired by working on robotics and filmmaking projects with his nephews, Jones deced to help other children explore the fast-growing world of technology.

Children need to be exposed to the valuable subjects such as math, physics and architectural engineering at a young age, he said. But how to make it fun?

Robots, Legos and films.

“The next thing I knew, I was helping my nephew's friends and other family friends, and it opened my eyes to what was missing in education.”

Children grow up with computers, cameras and other forms of technology in their lives, so Jones knew that embracing the technological wave was the right way to motivate kids.

“The quicker they can start to explore what those tools can do for them, the more prepared they will be for the real world,” he said.

Jones created BrainStorm Studios in April 2011, and has taught children from ages 6-14 how to problem solve their way into making robots, films, Lego structures, screenplays, websites and more.

BrainStorm Studios hosts a large variety of building workshops, summer camps and birthday parties. The most popular birthday party program is the Robot BotBirthday Party at which kids get to battle the robots for the win.

“It’s fun, but at the same time they are learning about friction, inertia, center of gravity and engineering,” Jones said.

The number of engineering graduates has sharply decreased in recent years, Jones said.

“It is such a great time to be in that field,” he said. BrainStorm’s goal is to help children use these tools to solve “simple, day-to-day problems or very complex problems.”

Most of Jones's advertising is done word of mouth. He set up shop just down from his mother’s tutoring office, she she can refer him business.

Said mom, AKA Cathy Jones: "He has family who are so behind him, it really is about following your dream." 

The competition begins

If fun weren't enough, Jones throws some competition into the mix, getting the kids involved with For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, better known as FIRST.

Dean Kamen, inventor of many medical and scientific creations, most notably the “Segway” Human Transporter, founded FIRST, which includes many programs and competitions for children’s teams to participate in, including FIRST Lego League, a worldwide competition involving teams from 60 countries across the globe.

Children as young as 6 all the way up through high school participate in building competitions in which they “design, build, test and program robots using Lego Mindstorms technology” according to the FIRST website.

“It is absolutely incredible what these kids are willing to accomplish,” said Jones. BrainStorm studios has two teams, the one team of children, ages 9-10; and another team of teenagers, ages 11-14. 

BrainStorm’s teams have been competing in FIRST contests all year. “Our teams were lucky enough to win every competition they went to,” said Jones.

Both teams qualified to go to the championships in in Carlsbad, from May 18-20. The two BrainStorm teams are part of the top 65 teams chosen out of about 40,000 teams from the United States, Canada and Mexico regions.

The children on both teams began at BrainStorm at the beginning of the year, unfamiliar with the use of robotics technology. According to Jones, the students have “really developed so quickly.”

Jones' methodology is not unlike that of many other teachers: “No matter what you choose to do in life, those schools are going to help you. The more they can start in the methodology early on, the better they are going to do in the future.”

The robotics programs of all of his offerings are the most popular because robotics involve the largest reach of subjects that tie in to the school curriculum, lsuch as math, physics, engineering and problem solving, Jones said.

“So it’s not just numbers on the page anymore, but the actual application,” Jones said. It would surprise most people to see how quickly children grasp concepts of computer programming for example, he said.

“Kids are brighter than we give them credit for."