Soft Robotic Instructional Kits for Education and STEM Outreach
Abstract
We will develop all-in-one soft robotic educational kits specifically for the Office of Naval Research and in tandem, conduct workshops to inform the development process. The vision for these soft robotics instructional kits is to produce a range of hands-on activities and instructional materials that grow with students as they advance in age and ability. Beginning with a simple introduction to manual soft robots, students learn mechanical design and experiment with new materials and fabrication processes. As student advance through high school, the kits cangradually evolve to allow students to experiment with more sophisticated soft robotic systems that facilitate exploring electronics and programming.We will conduct workshops to test the appropriateness of each kit developed for the upper and lower high school grades. The kits will be designed to influence positive preferences towards STEM subjects and interest in STEM related careers though intersecting students at an age where they make decisions about career choice, preparatory courses and higher education. In this way,the workshops will be able to facilitate exciting engineering-based experiences and help students make a more educated choice for their future.Created to be adaptable for lesson plans, workshops, home, and school use, the kits ultimately aim to generate excitement, engage students in science disciplines and create enjoyment for students within STEM subjects and the larger field. The workshops we will run will allow the team to observe and interact with the students and educators. This will provide training to betterprepare educators to utilize robotics activities for STEM courses and provide our team with feedback on what areas need to be improved in the future to make the materials easier to adopt in an educational setting.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jun 13, 2019
- Source ID
- N000141912386
Entities
People
- Conor J. Walsh
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- President and Fellows of Harvard College
- United States Navy