Grant UTK-8

Project Overview: Through explorations in Biologically Inspired Engineering, students will invent new kinds of robotic motion inspired by the natural world.

Project Initiation: Students will research climates and terrains from across the world, and how animals have adapted to thrive within them. They will harness those findings as inspiration for developing new mechanical motion that could assist humans in the manmade world (e.g., washes windows, puts out fires, collects fruit from trees). 

Project Exploration & Development: After analyzing and responding to a variety of self-chosen precedents that address a similar challenge, students derive a set of possible solutions to creating a biomimetic device. Through cooperative brainstorming students decide on and develop a series of prototypes and maquettes depicting their project and its functionality. Projects made in this studio will leverage the power of quick hand prototyping (cardboard, scissors, glue), mechanical design, and electronics to push the boundaries of robotic motion.

Project Revision & Exhibition: Through cooperative brainstorming, students decide on and develop a series of prototypes and maquettes depicting their project and its functionality. Students presented their final iteration in a high-quality presentation. The presentation reviews the iterative design process and presents specific documentation of the prototyping process.

Teachers: John Snyder, Nuvux Studio

Industry Sector: Engineering and Architecture

Project Overview: Students will design lighting objects based on self-reflection and formative memories. These objects will serve to communicate and express the creator's individuality. 

Project Initiation: Students distill a personal narrative concept through the medium of light, incorporating electronics and new media to convey aspects of one's identity. To initiate the process, students research undertake precedent analysis. The precedents allow students to see how other architects, artists and designers have solved a similar problem. With many seed ideas from the precedent analysis, students then brainstorm, filter and choose an idea to collaborate on an initial design concept.

Project Exploration & Development: Preliminary skill development included orthographic drawing, lessons in color psychology, Adobe Illustrator, Tinkercad and 3D Print editing software. Individuals and teams learn basics of controlling addressable LEDs in color and animation by coding and creating circuits using an Arduino microcontroller.

Project Revision & Exhibition: Project presentations cap the first iteration of the students' designs. Through presentations and conversations, makers ellicit critiques of their first prototypes in order to proceed to the next phase of their project.

Teachers: John Snyder, Nuvux Studio

Industry Sector: Engineering and Architecture