Workshop 5: Coding and Electronics
Our second makerspace workshop involved two key components:
Exploring Elements (cardboard, sound/voice, movement).
Planning our robots.
The aim of the whole day was for the whole research group to create 3 or 4 new robot 'prototypes'. We asked a series of questions to get our ideas flowing. These were:
what will our robots do? will it do maths? will it talk, move, light up? what else might it do?
how will we control our robots?
what systems can we use to do these things?
We made sure we had plenty of time to build our skills and gather ideas!
At the start of the day, we used Makey Makeys to explore materials that were conductive (like satsumas and pencil graphite!) and refresh our knowledge of circuits. Much of the morning was taking time to play around with the materials and think about what our co-researchers would like to make.
The Maker Emporium!
A key component of a makerspace is the facility for makers to choose the materials they want to use in their projects. To help achieve this, we set up a 'Maker Emporium' with tubs and boxes filled with a wide selection of useful and crafty bits and pieces. This included items such as corks, craft sticks, cardboard, fasteners, and foil and also electronic components including batteries, crocodile clips, electric motors and LEDs.
One of the main model making materials for creating prototypes was cardboard. We explored a range of cutting and joining techniques and students had the use of various cardboard tools such as cutters, bradawls and hot glue guns.
{Look}ing out for others and {Think}ing through Design
One of the student co-researchers, who preferred to work alone on design ideas, illustrated various design ideas. These included a washing machine with integrated ironing function and a therapy robot in the form of chattering teeth. Several of the designs were inspired by some of the technology around the room, indicating the importance of access to such technologies for thinking through, building upon and adapting design.
After spending some time developing his designs, he began approaching other teams and offering up his skills by saying, 'Do you need a designer?'.
Two of our student co-researchers worked on designing a communication or messaging device.
Developing this idea came from thinking through technology that might help our student co-researchers' family, friends and peers and school. In particular, they were interested in creating a design for those who may be Deaf or non-verbal.
Their designs involved programming so a button could be pressed with a visible/written answer indicated.
