Robots and science
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Part of the 2013 Diamond Series, Deborah Lipson will discuss Robots and science - the practice and advantages of science and maths curricula in creating lego robots.
Primary students are inquisitive, curious, investigative and enchanted by a range of science based concepts and properties. They are fascinated by bugs and spiders (Biology), how a rainbow is created (Physics), where the bubbles in Coca Cola come from (Chemistry) and why the moon appears broken sometimes (Astronomy).
Secondary school science formalises and categorises the many questions students have. In that process, science loses its creativity and "magic". Disengagement follows with many students opting out of studying science.
Robotics can be a conduit for the regeneration of student interest in science. Although robots were an invention of the past, they are very much embedded in the future of our students. Robots do not conform to the stereotype of "in man's image". In fact as an emergent field robotics relies on the creativity, problem solving, lateral thinking and originality of the constructor. Before a robot can be programmed to move, the creative aspects of construction of the robot is required. This relies on the understanding of basic Physics aspects of statics, dynamics and simple machines.
This session will investigate how robots were portrayed and how the basic Physics concepts of motion can be intuitively learnt through construction activities.
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