Art Bots (Resource Exchange)
Emma Monson, Deborah Besser, AnnMarie Polsenberg Thomas, Debra S. Monson · 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access Proceedings · 2020
Abstract Art Bots, is a STEAM middle school lesson which provides electrical circuit and robot design experiential learning and includes adaptations. This lesson was constructed for and tested in an out of school STEAM program for middle school girls. Several faculty, students, partners and source materials have influenced the design and continuous improvement of this lesson plan. The lesson begins with an engineering challenge to create an art robot which will provide whimsy and joy which is consistent within the program context of empathy in engineering. Key to the machine design lesson is the take-apart, that is reverse engineering, lesson which includes a low cost electronic toothbrush. Each learner develops an understanding of how machine designers are trained and in the process unearths their own offset motor, wire, and battery pack. Additional materials supplied to the learners for robot body creation includes markers and additional art supplies. Through coaching students explore the multiple approaches for constructing their robots as they consider how they may help someone other than themselves. Empathy is an important project focus as learners develop a design which will allow other people to create a drawing when they may not be able to do so on their own. For example, the learners were asked to make an art bot that they could give to a young boy who does not have functionality in his hands and is not able to draw on his own. By giving students a way to make the project less about themselves and more about other people, they were more inclined to make it work properly. Although they were encouraged to make the Art Bot for someone else, we also want them to have a personal connection to it and do this by giving them materials to decorate and name their bot.