Jeremy Ervin, jervin@jconline.com

Packaged as a game, the true purpose of a Lego robot battle staged Wednesday at Purdue University’s Lawson Computer Science Building was to teach programming skills.

Middle-schoolers enrolled in Purdue University’s computer science summer camp surrounded the large square game board and input commands into tablets.

The game is fashioned after a board game called RoboRally. Before each turn, participants input up to five commands, or “cards.” When the turn begins, each robot executes its first card. Once all robots have followed their first commands, they each move on to their next card.

The objective is to reach four separate points on the map, in order, while avoiding programming errors, dangers in the environment and other robots.

Steve Hassenplug, a Landis+Gyr software engineer, moderated the game, answering questions and readjusting wayward robots when needed.

“They’re learning cause and effect,” he said. “Some of the groups are working together.”

Abhay Gudur, 11, Vineeth Madhavram, 11, and Jonathon Rivers, 13, commanded a unit modeled after Disney Pixar character Wall-E.

“I was here last year, and I liked it so much I came again,” Rivers said.

In addition to programming, campers are taught about web design, app development and problem solving.

“We don’t need them to necessarily have any skills, it could just be an interest,” said camp director Phil Sands. “The perception is that programming is for a certain kind of kid, and I don’t think that’s what the computer science program here wants to promote.”

The camp began Sunday and concludes Friday.