RoboRush: Code It. Build It. Race It. Winter 2027

Got an idea for a robot? Bring it to life! 

In this hands-on bootcamp for ages 12–16, you will go from your first line of code to building, programming and racing your very own autonomous robot. No experience needed—just curiosity, creativity and a willingness to experiment!

Start by exploring the exciting world of electronics and Arduino programming. Light up LEDs, connect circuits, experiment with sensors and motors, and discover how a few lines of code can bring machines to life. You will put your skills to the test as you learn to program your robot to respond to its surroundings and make decisions of its own.

Ready to take your ideas further? Discover AI-powered prototyping, also known as vibe coding, where you turn your ideas into plain-language prompts and collaborate with AI coding tools to generate working code. You will not just let AI do the work for you—you will learn to test, debug, improve and understand your code, developing the critical thinking skills to make your ideas work in the real world.

Then comes the big challenge: build your robot, put it to the test and get it race-ready! Working in teams, you will assemble your robot using sensors, motors and electronic components, then fine-tune its code to follow a track with speed and precision. The bootcamp wraps up with a friendly robot race and project showcase, where you will put your creation to the test and show off what you have built.

Learning Outcomes

• Build and wire Arduino circuits using sensors and motors.
• Write, upload and debug Arduino programs.
• Use AI-assisted vibe coding to create, test and refine code.
• Program, fine-tune and race an autonomous line-following robot.
• Collaborate to troubleshoot, improve and showcase a working robot.

Who Can Apply?

Students aged 12 - 16 years

Duration and Location

• January 3-6, 2027 (4 days)
• Sessions will run daily from 9 am to 4 pm
• AUC New Cairo campus
• Fridays and Saturdays off
• Holidays are already compensated for with extra hours

Certification

All participants will receive a certificate of participation from The American University in Cairo (AUC), provided they attend more than three out of five days for five-day bootcamps or more than three out of four days for four-day bootcamps.

Transportation 

The AUC Bus Service is available for an extra fee. For more details , please check the Bus transportation website.

About the Instructor

Kirolos Botros

Kirolos Botros is a PhD researcher in robotics and reinforcement learning and a mechatronics engineer with over 10 years of university teaching experience at Ain Shams University and The American University in Cairo. He designs robotics and AI courses that turn young learners' curiosity into working, hands-on projects.

Refund and Bootcamp Switching Policy

A 100 percent refund of the program fees will be granted if the request is submitted at least two weeks before the course start date, or if the request is due to one of the following reasons:

• Course cancellation
• Medical withdrawal
• Visa denial

A 75 percent refund will be granted if the request is submitted within the last two weeks before the course start date.

No refund will be issued if the request is submitted after Wednesday (4 pm), the day before the end of the last working day, and before classes begin, including the weekend prior to the course start date, or after the course has begun.

Bootcamp transfers or switching between bootcamps are not permitted once a bootcamp has commenced.

Learning Environment

To ensure a positive experience for everyone, we ask all participants to help us maintain a safe, respectful and inclusive learning environment.

Please note that any form of physical or verbal aggression, including fighting, hitting, biting, bullying, threatening behavior, verbal abuse, the use of offensive or inappropriate language, or any conduct that disrupts the learning environment, will not be tolerated.

Participants who engage in such behavior may be immediately withdrawn from the bootcamp at the sole discretion of Summer@AUC and will not be permitted to attend the remaining bootcamp days. In such cases, no refund of the program fees will be provided.