Teens wrote Python code to make a four-legged robot sit, jump, wave and navigate across a room at the Fulton County Library's Best Buy Teen Tech Center in downtown Atlanta, according to a library blog post published Saturday, July 18.

The session, part of the library system's "Code, Simulate, Fly" series with Sim2Real Academy, put participants in front of "Ollie," a robodog they had never programmed before. Instructor Lucas Trujillo, a Georgia Tech graduate student in robotics research, guided the group through progressively harder challenges.

First, each participant wrote a simple Python script to trigger one of Ollie's tricks. Then Trujillo raised the stakes: code Ollie to walk in a circle, square or triangle. That meant calculating angles and distances in meters, turning a coding exercise into a geometry lesson.

The final challenge had a community twist. Trujillo asked the group to program Ollie to cross the room and "comfort" a student sitting at a random desktop computer, simulating how a robodog might one day assist people in need. Through trial and error, the teens mapped Ollie's path and got the robot to its destination.

"Ollie the Robodog taught the kids the basics of Python coding and gave them insight into how robodogs can have a positive impact on the community, whether by delivering packages, serving as guide dogs, or helping out in the teen tech center," Kalee Wiley, a library associate at Central Library, wrote in the recap.

Johns Creek residents are served by the same Fulton County Library System through the Ocee Library at 5090 Abbotts Bridge Road and the Northeast/Spruill Oaks Library at 9560 Spruill Road. Teens from either branch can participate in Teen Tech Center programs at Central Library.

The Best Buy Teen Tech Center, located at 1 Margaret Mitchell Square, is free for teens ages 13 to 17 (18-year-olds may attend with a current high school ID). The center is part of The Clubhouse Network and is coordinated by Vincent Chukumah. In 2025, it hosted 617 programs drawing 1,982 attendees, according to the library system's most recent annual report.

Sim2Real Academy, Trujillo's independent robotics education program, previously led a Python-and-drones session for homeschool teens at the same center. The robodog session shifted the focus from airborne to four-legged machines.

Coming up

RoboKong E.V. Race: Celebrating America 250 — Wednesday, July 29, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Central Library. Teens will race electric vehicles they built over the summer as part of the Summer Reading Program grand finale. The event includes live performances, music, food, games and prizes. Attendees can pick up a limited-edition America 250 library card.

For more information about the Best Buy Teen Tech Center, contact [email protected] or call 404-613-0259.