During Massachusetts STEM week in October, we celebrated All Things Robotic from the “Green Room” at MassRobotics.
Our annual Robot Block Party was put on hold this year – hoping to return in 2021. We’ve enjoyed three years of showcasing autonomous vehicles, drones, robot arms, FIRST teams – and much more from Massachusetts robotics companies and universities. While we missed hosting our annual Robot Block Party, instead, we held a week of daily webinars learning about robotic activities and kits, developed here in Massachusetts! Our goal was to reach students, educators, and families, and help them learn about different aspects of robotics, from coding to electronics. We aimed to provide ideas for educators on how to incorporate robotics into their curriculum and to provide families and students information on tools and resources available.
We hope you enjoy these webinar recordings:
Root is a powerful learning tool backed with an extensive library of lessons and activities designed to engage students of all ages: from pre-readers to flourishing programmers. Paired with the easy-to-use iRobot Coding App supported across all platforms and a virtual simulator to support remote learning.
In this introductory session, covers how to get started right away, how iRobot Coding can integrate seamlessly into a blended classroom, and how to introduce coding to students of all ages. A Bonus: You can also follow along at home and code in the simulation mode. View recording here.
Spark your students’ imagination and inspire their creativity with LittleBits. LittleBits makes it easy to demonstrate how technology in the real world actually works, with simple input and block components. You don’t have to have a background in STEM or coding.
At MassRobotics we use LittleBits to teach the next generation of engineers how to make robots. Students begin by creating real-time interactions between sensors and actuators before learning how to add program logic. Soon they can turn their ideas into reality with these electronic building blocks. View recording here.
Khalif Mitchell, MassRobotics STEM lead, showcases our LittleBits wall of components during the webinar.
SoftRobotics.IO is a community-centered development platform and ecosystem of tools and resources for soft robotics prototyping, innovation, and design. The Toolkit was developed as part of educational research being undertaken in the Harvard Biodesign Lab with the aim to advance the field of soft robotics by allowing designers and researchers to build upon each other’s work.
Learn about the Soft Robotics Toolkit and the collection of shared resources to support the design, fabrication, modeling, characterization, and control of soft robotic devices. The Toolkit includes an open source fluidic control board, detailed design documentation describing a wide range of soft robotic components (including actuators and sensors), and related files that can be downloaded and used in the design, manufacture, and operation of soft robots. In combination with low material costs and increasingly accessible rapid prototyping technologies such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC mills, the Toolkit enables soft robotic components to be produced easily and affordably. Soft Robotics ToolKit View recording here.
BrainCo’s Dexus prosthetic has empowered amputees around the world with cutting edge technology. Based on this tech and its social mission, BrainCo has modified this into a classroom solution that introduces students to the intersection of engineering, artificial intelligence, programming and more with seeking out and solving real world challenges. The BrainCo STEM Hand Base Set includes ready to build hardware, motors, controllers, sensors, IR Remote, cables and more with full curriculum access and a block-based programming platform.
Learn about this award winning Dexus prosthetic and the STEM kit that brings this technology and mission to students around the world. BrianCo STEM Kit View recording here.