Innovative K-12 STEM Education Using Biomimetic Soft Robotic Kits

The ocean abounds with amazing life that has captured the imagination of children and adults throughout history. With nearly infinite diversity of form and function, it is the perfect playground to engage the creative processes of young minds. Our goal in this project is to leverage the appeal of this playground, teaching K-12 students the principles of biomimicry and soft robotics so that they can create their own unique and imaginative robotic solutions that imitate subaquatic biological organisms. We will accomplish this by providing fun and engaging kitted robots to build, modify, improve, or play with, depending on the age of the targeted students. The robotic systems are designed to be engaging for children across a wide age range by varying the level of technical engagement using the same basic robotic parts. In Phase I, GreenSight and Florida Atlantic University enhanced the existing NSWC Carderock’s SeaJelly project (a biomimetic jellyfish-like robot). We established that the design is both functional and engaging for children, and that it can be feasibly built by high school students. In Phase II, we will begin the work necessary to transform this concept into a fully customizable soft robotic platform that students can use to create unique bioinspired swimming  robots. To that end, we propose to develop a fully wireless and modular platform for students to foster their creativity. A central control canister will act as the ‘brain’ of the robot. Educational experiences will teach students the principles to create bioinspired soft actuators that will be bonded to pump control modules. These pump control modules and soft actuators can be affixed to the exterior of the central control canister in any desired orientation to allow students creative control over the form and function of their robots. Additionally, we will develop 3D scan-to-make techniques for students to bring any desired object to life with soft robotic actuators. This approach will also be scalable to modifying open source files to 3D print aesthetic and functional shells for the central control canister to improve the appearance and hydrodynamic performance of the robots.   In Phase II, we will continue work to improve the manufacturability of the envisioned soft robotic ecosystem while developing underwater robot kits with other form factors. Our team, augmented by the addition of STEM education experts RoboNation, will create lesson plans around the robot kits for K-12 students, as well as organize team robot competitions at the high school level. At the end of our planned Phase II, we intend to have a number of high impact commercial products ready to scale into the STEM market, enhancing children’s engagement with undersea life and robotics.