Interesting... See this is stuff that I have no idea about but I know people who
do know about it. But from what I gather from Google it sounds like a programming language and the ability to control things ... in the most layman's terms possible and probably still wrong. I will look into it, though $200 might be a pretty penny for me right now.
What do you do, JohnDB? Sounds like you know what you're talking about.
I am a commercial/industrial electrician.
Ever walk into a room and the lights come on automatically? Or use a touch lamp?
Now that is a single step automated process. A very simple robot that controls things. (Your car these days is very full of these things) I'm the guy who they call when they want a boardroom to automatically shut the blinds, dim the lights, turn on the sound system and either turn on the projector or monitor screen the moment someone puts on a power point display or plays a youtube video.
I'm slso the guy they call in to wire up complicated systems for things like automated processes and limit switches and sensors.
It's not computer programming. This is PLC programming using ladder logic. It's very different. You don't get "if-then-else" statements in PLC programming. (Although I really wanted them when I was first learning)
And because industrial plants are inherently dangerous places prone to accidents you write your programming and sensors to stop everything if
anything goes wrong. (Don't want two messes to clean up instead of one)
But for your 11 Y.O. child a good breadboard electronics experiment kit would be a great idea. ($50)
There's a wealth of things he can learn like how to make a 555 circuit and change its frequency. (Intermittent Flashing light)
Radios from AM to FM and even CB.
The book is boring but the experiments aren't.
This will teach him the importance of capacitance and resistance and inductance.
The hydraulics and pneumatics...I haven't really seen much in the way of experiment kits for those...but if he can understand how a solenoid valve works...it's not a reach.
Motors, magnetism, induction, capacitance, impedance, and all the Electrical stuff....he's going to want to know that... also he will need to be able to read the color bands on resistors at a glance. (I know...you don't even know how to hold it to read it)
But the truth is that he is looking at a really good field for his future. Even if he doesn't make robots. Instrumentation Techs are started @ $52K/Yr + expenses + overtime. (And this is just a Tech I...tech 2 &3 make even more)
They don't even pull wire if they don't want to.
It's sick how much those guys make.