Students with a passion for robotics shared their work with a group of University of Missouri leaders Thursday afternoon at the Cole County Extension Center in Jefferson City.
Anna Markway, 8, enjoyed revealing how her team's marshmallow-shooting robot worked.
"See, it goes forward, but you can program it to go backward to where it starts," she said. "Then it reloads."
The amusing little machine - capable of chucking full-sized marshmallows a distance of about four feet - drew chuckles from the crowd of adults when it fired away.
Thursday's event was an opportunity for the Cole County Extension Center to showcase the programs it offers to the public.
MU Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin, who saw the student's presentation on Thursday, is interested in learning more about the University Extension system, according to Chris Thompson who serves as the county's program director as well as a business-development specialist.
"The chancellor really wants to understand Extension, beyond hearing reports on campus," Thompson said. "To that end, he's touring as many centers in as many regions as he can."
Loftin seemed impressed by the students' efforts.
He told them his own son - a missile-guidance engineer with the Raytheon corporation - loves to work with robots and has specialized in "machine vision," or how machines can use cameras to "see" things and perform tasks.
"That's his personal passion," Loftin said.
He thanked all of the children in the room for their willingness to be eager experimenters and commended the preteens in the room for helping the younger children learn.
"It's vital," he said. "Because you are closer in age to them and you can anticipate their questions better than I could."
Eight students - ranging in age from 8 to 14 - met with the University officials on Thursday. The older students are members of the S&L 4-H Robotics Club, and the younger students are participants in a newly formed organization called Rocket Kids 4-H Club.
"The Rocket Kids decided to start a new group, because there's just so much wisdom in the older group, and we didn't want all those kids to "age out' of the club," said Jennifer Markway, mother of Anna.
She noted the robot-throwing marshmallow was the Rocket Kids' first effort.
"These kids are just getting started," she said.
Jenny Flatt, a 4-H youth specialist, said the local robotics clubs have committed significant financial resources to purchase the parts and equipment students need to build the robots.
"Our program is advanced," Flatt said. "Now our effort is focused on getting other pockets of robotics going across the region."