Calgary girl inspires with robotics after starting her own company

A Calgary girl who owns her own mini-robotics company hopes she can inspire other young people to get more involved in technology.

"Imperfection shouldn't really drag you down, it should just kind of be there and you can flow with it," 11-year-old Lauren Voisin told The Homestretch.

"Imperfection is the inspiration for my company."

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Voisin started her company with her sister and a friend about three years ago when she noticed an opportunity to teach something she loves.

"I actually have been taking things apart for as long as I can remember," she said.

"I took apart my electric toothbrush and I kind of built of robot from that. I liked it and was looking for kits and there wasn't anything."

The Homestretch7:32Geeky Summit founder Kylie Toh and 11-year-old entrepeneur Lauren Voisin

Women are embracing their geekiness in Calgary today. The "Geeky Summit" celebrates technology and entrepeneurship at Telus Spark. Kylie Toh founded the summit and the Calgary non-profit Chic Geek. 11-year-old Lauren Voisin sells mini-robot kits for kids.

And Robots Are Fun was born.

Voisin was invited to speak at the Geeky Summit, an event designed to get more women involved in technology.

One of the organizers said Voisin is a good ambassador for the movement.

"Lauren [Voisin] has been a complete inspiration today," Kylie Toh said.

"She is a reminder that building companies, learning technology, being innovative is possible at any age and that should never, ever be a barrier."

Toh said connecting women with careers in technology is increasingly important.

"It is critical and when we look to the future, technology is not an industry, it is an enabler in every single industry that we look at, from health care to retail to oil and gas, so it so important for more women to be tech literate, tech curious, tech inclined," she explained.

For Voisin, there is also a small profit motive. She sells her robotic kids to students in Grade 2 and above for $10.

"A Brushbot, when you turn it on, it just kind of buzzes around and goes wherever it wants. There is no real control because it just moves by vibration," she said.

And as an 11-year-old, she's only just getting started.

"I am thinking maybe [I'll go into] electrical engineering so that I can continue on with my company and take it to a whole new level."

With files from Andrew Brown and The Homestretch