Photos: Local elementary school students program their life-sized robot

Students in Rio Vista Elementary School's Robotics Club have built and programed a life-sized robot, named JACZBOT, by using an open-source design from an inventor in France.

JACZBOT, which stands at six feet and one inch tall, was built by 10-year-old Atticus Brown, 9-year-old Casey Sennett, 11-year-old Cora Jernigan, 11-year-old Jayden Murillo, 11-year-old Jessayra Corella, 10-year-old Julio Estudillo Cortez and 11-year-old Zyler Miller.

JACZBOT is the only life-size robot built and programed by students using the designs from the inventor in France, according to Dianna Kuhn, principal of Rio Vista Elementary School in the Amphitheater School District.

"We found out through EZ Robot that some people had built this, at least some adults, and so we thought well maybe we can try and start a robot club and have the kids build a life-sized robot," said Kuhn. "That would be very exciting."

The seven students, from 4th and 5th grade, get together every Friday afternoon for three hours to work on JACZBOT as well as other smaller robots which help the students program JACZBOT.

Through out last year they made 3D pieces for the robot and began building JACZBOT in September of last year.