Biomimicry With LEGO SPIKE is a workshop that I did for our Maker Lab course this spring. I'm definitely proud of this one, and it seemed like people loved it! 

Goals of the workshop

1. How can we model tools after what we see in nature? 

2. How much does structure affect function?

3. We have 2 joints, one modeled after a crab claw and one modeled after a venus fly trap

a. How are these joints related to anatomical structures seen in nature? 

b. How could you adapt analogous structures to perform this task?

c. How would you describe the sequence of movement in nature? Compare that to the sequence of movement in the Lego SPIKE

d. Can we use the Lego SPIKE tool kits to improve industrial processes? 

4. Can we make our own joints based on similar structures in nature? 

Learning plan

1. Brief introduction to biomimicry as an industrial design process, its advantages, and how it can be used in everyday life

a. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9220914/

2. Brief intro to LEGO SPIKE

a. Building a Prosthetic Arm With Lego

3. Introduction to the Workshop

a. Grabber 1 has been designed to grab light, flexible objects. Its flexible claw makes it really inefficient at grabbing big, heavy, or smooth objects.

b. Grabber 2 has been designed to grab large, heavy objects. Its split claw makes it almost impossible to grab small objects. 

c. With these designs, can they use the Lego Spike kits to make an analogous or homologous structure?

4. Have workshop attendees build new joints based on structures they see in nature - use the two as models to compare against (15 minutes and then 5 minute trials. adds creativity and choice + design and thinking) 

5. Literature extension 

a. Write a review of each grabber, as if it were one of the following:

-Crab claw

-Venus Fly Trap

b. Why is each advantageous? Why is each disadvantageous? 

Follow along with the slides below!