Well, here we are, my very first blog post!
I’ve been meaning to start this for a while, and I’ve finally decided it’s time to dive in. This space will be where I share my journey (and probably a few missteps along the way) as I build a website and hopefully a company all about AI and robotics.
Who Am I?
Hi, I’m Terri. 👋
I’ve always been fascinated by how things work. From a young age, I was the kid taking apart toys and gadgets just to see what was inside. That curiosity grew into a love of robotics, electronics, mechanics, psychology, and AI.
I started out as a mechanical engineer, moved into electronics, went on to earn a degree in robotics, and eventually built a long and rewarding career in software development. Along the way, I’ve launched a few projects of my own, including a social media monitoring company that handled millions of messages a month and a popular online community for custom car enthusiasts.
One of my favourite memories from university was my final-year project that was a small programmable robot fitted with sensors, LEDs, a display, a speaker, and an ultrasonic range finder. I even wrote a custom virtual machine and a 3D programming environment for it. My plan was to release it all as open-source learning material for students and schools, but life got in the way. These days, that little robot is a piece of vintage tech sitting on a shelf, reminding me where it all began.
What Inspired Me to Try Again
When I first graduated, the world of robotics was very different. Opportunities were limited, and the technology was still catching up with imagination. Fast forward to now, and things have changed dramatically. AI has taken huge leaps forward, and every week there seems to be a new robot making headlines.
It’s exciting and a little overwhelming to watch how fast things are moving. The world will probably slow down eventually, but it’s never going to be quite the same again.
In recent years, I’ve also focused more on diversity and inclusion, especially helping people from underrepresented or lower-income backgrounds get into tech. As AI and robotics become more advanced, I worry that some children might be left behind, particularly those in schools with fewer resources.
That’s one of the reasons I want to get back into robotics and help to make it more approachable, fun, and accessible to everyone.
What’s the Plan, Stan?
I’ve always loved the idea of a competition open to schools or anyone interested in learning. Something that teaches the basics of robotics and software development in a way that’s hands-on and genuinely fun.
Back at university, I was captivated by the robot football and micro-mouse competitions. The only snag is that those setups take space, equipment, and a decent budget, not something every school or hobbyist has.
So my short-term goal is to see how something like that could work locally. Long-term, I’d love to create a cost-effective, open-source platform where schools and colleges could compete, maybe even remotely. Imagine friendly robot battles between classrooms!
Of course, it’ll take a community of enthusiasts to make it happen, but that’s half the fun. If this sounds like your kind of project, I’d really love to hear from you.
Next Steps
Right now, I’m working on an AI agent in Java to automate some of my daily tasks so I can focus more on the bigger picture. Once it’s up and running, I’ll share what I’ve learned here in case anyone else wants to do something similar.
I’m also keen to connect with people working in education. If you’re involved in schools, colleges, or training programmes, I’d love to hear your thoughts on what’s needed and how we can make robotics more accessible for students.
That’s it for now, and thanks so much for reading my first post.
I’m excited to see where this journey leads, and I hope you’ll join me along the way.
